Caufield scores OT winner as Canadiens beat Kraken

SEATTLE — Cole Caufield set a Montreal franchise record with his 11th career overtime goal, lifting the Canadiens to a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday after they squandered a 3-0 lead midway through the third period.

Caufield, who had two goals and an assist, moved into a tie for the NHL lead with his ninth goal of the season. He skated behind the net before sneaking back toward the line to catch Kraken goalie Joey Daccord off guard and tuck the puck inside the post 44 seconds into OT.

Caufield, who had a career-high 37 goals and 70 points last season, has four multigoal games this season. The 2019 first-round draft pick scored twice to beat Seattle in Montreal’s home opener on Oct. 14, including the overtime winner that night in a 5-4 decision.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook each scored a power-play goal and Nick Suzuki had three assists for the Canadiens (8-3), who improved to 5-2 on the road this season while wrapping up a four-game trip. Jakub Dobes improved to 6-0, making 18 saves.

Brandon Montour had two goals and Shane Wright scored between them as the Kraken (5-2-3) stormed back. Montour, the 10th-year defenseman, had a career-high 18 goals last season. He left the Kraken for four games last week to be with his family in light of the death of his older brother, Cameron, from complications from ALS.

Newhook has three goals and six points in the last five games for the Canadiens, who went 3-1 on the trip, all one-goal games. They won 30 of 49 faceoffs against the Kraken and scored on both of their power-play opportunities.

Montreal hosts Ottawa on Saturday. Seattle hosts the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

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