Early Surge Defines Night
The Dallas Stars faced a steep hill to climb on Thursday, October 29, 2026, after falling behind significantly in the opening period. Playing at home at the American Airlines Center with an attendance of 18,532, the Stars could not contain Montreal’s offensive output, ultimately succumbing to a 5-2 defeat by the visiting Montreal Canadiens.
Period-by-Period Breakdown
Montreal established control almost immediately. Cole Caufield opened the scoring in the first period with a snap shot, assisted by Phillip Danault and Alexandre Carrier. The Stars responded quickly when Wyatt Johnston tied the game at 1-1 on a snap shot of his own, supported by assists from Mikko Rantanen and Miro Heiskanen.
However, Montreal regained the lead within minutes. Alex Newhook capitalized on a backhand to make it 2-1, aided by Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson. Caufield extended the advantage shortly after, scoring his second goal of the night via snap shot, with Adam Engstrom and Juraj Slafkovský providing the assists. The first period ended with Montreal holding a 3-1 lead.
The second period saw both teams find the back of the net. Newhook completed his brace with another backhand goal in the second frame, this time assisted by Chris Kreider and Noah Dobson. Dallas managed to pull one back when Jamie Benn scored on a wrist shot, with Rantanen and Johnston recording assists. The period concluded with Montreal leading 4-2.
