Jets rally from four-goal deficit to stun Canadiens in historic comeback

Explainer

The Winnipeg Jets erased a four-goal deficit in the final minutes of regulation and won 5-4 in overtime over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, setting an NHL record for the latest four-goal comeback in league history. The Jets scored four times in two minutes and six seconds to tie the game with 33 seconds left in the third period before Dylan Samberg won it 3:30 into the extra frame. The victory snapped a nine-game winless skid for Winnipeg and handed Montreal a stunning collapse after the Canadiens had built a 4-0 lead early in the third. "What a way to end the streak we were on," said Jets forward Kyle Connor outside a jubilant dressing room.

Tyrel Bauer started the improbable rally with his first career NHL goal, beating Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler with a shot from the left circle with 2:39 remaining in regulation. Morgan Barron scored 42 seconds later to make it 4-2, with Bauer earning an assist to complete a Gordie Howe hat trick. Connor then scored twice in a 27-second span, tying the game at 4-4 with 33 seconds left after the Jets pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Samberg ended it with a wrist shot from the right circle in overtime, completing a comeback that began 57 minutes and 21 seconds into the game, surpassing the previous record set by the Los Angeles Kings in 2007.

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How did the Jets' comeback unfold?

The Jets were trailing 4-0 after Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game just 46 seconds into the third period. Winnipeg had dominated play for much of the night but could not solve Fowler, who made 42 saves, including 19 in the second period alone. The momentum shifted with 9:20 left in regulation when Bauer, a sixth-round draft pick playing his 10th NHL game, fought Montreal heavyweight Arber Xhekaj. Bauer's goal less than seven minutes later ignited the frantic finish. "That's a long, hard stretch, but this group believed in each other," Bauer said, his fists still dripping blood after the fight. "We had each other's backs in that room, the guys had my back on the ice tonight. I blacked out for the rest of it."

Connor's tying goals came with the net empty and on a power play, capitalizing on the sudden momentum. Samberg, a defenceman, then delivered the winner in overtime. The Jets had controlled most of the play before the rally, outshooting Montreal 46-22, but Fowler repeatedly denied them. "That young Fowler kid, wow," Jets coach Scott Arniel said. "That's twice now I've seen him. I don't want to see him anymore. Wow, he's something. The stops he was making, especially in that second period. But really, that was the message after the first and after the second: don't stop."

What did the Canadiens say after the collapse?

In the Montreal locker room, players and coaches struggled to explain how a comfortable lead evaporated so quickly. Caufield, who scored twice on the power play, said the team thought the game was over. "I guess (we) thought the game was over," Caufield said. "We had a four-goal lead. There's no excuse for this. It's terrible." Head coach Martin St. Louis, a Hall of Fame winger, said the Canadiens "got what we deserved." He acknowledged that despite the score, Winnipeg was the better team throughout the night. "We were winning, but we weren't outplaying them," St. Louis said. "If you look at the game as a whole, forget the score, Winnipeg was the better team tonight. How the whole thing happened, that's hard to explain. I've never been part of anything like that."

The Canadiens had won five straight games entering Tuesday. Owen Beck opened the scoring with his first goal of the season 3:05 into the first period, with assists from brothers Arber and Florian Xhekaj, marking the first time brothers recorded a point on the same Canadiens goal since 2009. Josh Anderson made it 2-0 later in the first, and Caufield added two power-play goals. The loss halted Montreal's winning streak and handed Fowler a tough defeat despite his 42-save performance.

What was the context for the struggling Jets?

The Jets entered the game desperate for a win, having lost nine consecutive games (0-7-2) since their last victory on Oct. 13. Their season had been rocked from the start when former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade. He was later dealt to the New Jersey Devils. The team was also coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, which Connor, an 11-year veteran, called a "low point" for the franchise. That loss had raised questions about Arniel's future as head coach. Garbutt Disposal reported in October that the Jets also lost their season opener in overtime despite a record goal from Kyle Connor.

The win improved Winnipeg's record to 5-8-3. Before the game, the Jets were four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Arniel expressed hope that the dramatic victory could serve as a turning point. "I'm so happy that we won tonight and we got that win," Arniel said. "This is November 3rd, this isn't February and March. To me, we're still in the hunt. Going into this game, we were four points out of a playoff spot in the West. You just gotta stay in the pack. I know it's been a grind for us, but we just gotta stay in it. And hopefully this is the jump-start that we needed." The Jets' next game is at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

With files from Sportsnet, The Globe and Mail and Yahoo Sports