Laine OT winner, Dobes’ 23 saves, and more: 3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens won 5-4 in OT over New York Rangers

The Montreal Canadiens turned things around on Sunday night, beating the New York Rangers 5-4 in overtime at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens were coming off a 7-3 shellacking against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night but returned to the win column.

Patrik Laine got the game-winner at 3:20 of the extra frame for the Montreal Canadiens. Brendan Gallagher, Christian Dvorak, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky got the other tallies for the Canadiens, while Alexis Lafreniere, Will Cuylle, Mika Zibanejad (PPG) and Chris Kreider netted for the Blue Shirts.

So, here’s a look at the three main reasons why the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers:

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Three reasons why Montreal Canadiens won over New York Rangers

#3 Team resilience

The Montreal Canadiens were coming off an ugly loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the night before, blowing a 3-0 lead. The Habs trailed all night against the New York Rangers before getting a huge goal from Patrik Laine to win the game and get the two points.

Sunday night’s game was a crucial one, as the Habs didn't give up despite the Rangers consistently pulling away every time the Habs had tied the game. The key factor was not allowing the Blue Shirt to get more than a one-goal lead.

Eventually, the Canadiens closed the gap and won the game.

#2 Dobes’ 23 saves

Jakub Dobes was a difference-maker once again for the Montreal Canadiens. He made 23 saves, including a huge one in overtime.

Dobes robbed Vincent Trocheck with a wicked glove save. Artemi Panarin dropped a pass to Trocheck who let a shot fly, with Dobes making an acrobatic save.

In the same sequence, Adam Fox sent a cross-ice pass to Panarin who let a one-timer fly. Dobes slid across the crease, making a huge pad save. Those two huge stops kept the Habs in the game, allowing them to steal the two points.

#1 Laine’s game-winner

Patrik Laine has had a resurgent season this year despite dealing with injuries. He has been big for the Canadiens all year, getting one of the biggest goals of the season against the Rangers in overtime.

Laine used his speed to make the Rangers pay by setting up a give-and-go with Kaiden Guhle. Laine entered the Rangers’ zone with speed and charged toward the net, with Guhle feeding Laine the puck. Laine then redirected the pass past Jonathan Quick for the win.

The goal was Laine’s 12th of the year, lifting the Canadians to a crucial win that put them past the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens will hit the ice again on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.