San Jose scores twice in the third period before a power-play finish seals a 4-3 victory over the Canadiens.
The San Jose Sharks erased a two-goal deficit in the third period before Macklin Celebrini delivered the decisive power-play goal in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Celebrini finished with two goals and an assist, including the winner at 2:13 of overtime. Michael Misa and Tyler Toffoli also scored for San Jose, which improved to 5-4-1 overall and responded after a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs the previous night.
Celebrini Gives San Jose the Early Lead
The Sharks opened the scoring at 13:49 of the first period. Celebrini collected the puck and scored his fourth goal of the season, giving San Jose a 1-0 advantage. Montreal answered at 16:38 when Suzuki scored his fifth goal of the season. Slafkovsky and defenseman Lane Hutson received assists, and the goal brought the Canadiens level at 1-1 before the first intermission. The opening period ended with both teams having found the net once. San Jose had established an early lead, but Montreal responded before the Sharks could carry that advantage into the second period.
Canadiens Take Control in the Second Period
Slafkovsky put Montreal ahead early in the second period, finishing a play assisted by Caufield. The goal gave the Canadiens a 2-1 lead and shifted the pressure onto San Jose. Montreal extended its advantage at 14:03 when Caufield scored his sixth goal of the season. Suzuki and Phillip Danault recorded the assists, moving the score to 3-1. The Canadiens had now scored three consecutive goals after Celebrini's opener. With a two-goal lead, Montreal entered the third period in position to secure the win, while San Jose needed to generate more offense and limit further opportunities for the home team.
Misa and Toffoli Spark the Comeback
Misa cut Montreal's lead to 3-2 at 5:36 of the third period. The forward finished a feed from Kiefer Sherwood for his first goal of the season, giving San Jose a much-needed opening in its comeback attempt. The goal reduced the deficit to one and kept the Sharks within reach. San Jose continued to press for the equalizer, and its next goal came on the power play. At 11:09, Toffoli scored to tie the game at 3-3. Celebrini and Jacob Trouba recorded assists on the goal, which completed San Jose's comeback from the two-goal deficit.
Celebrini Seals the Victory on the Power Play
The deciding moment arrived at 2:13 of overtime. A penalty against Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes for interference on Colin Graf gave San Jose a four-on-three power-play opportunity. The Sharks converted. Celebrini one-timed a pass from Ivar Stenberg past Dobes to score his second goal of the game and secure the 4-3 victory. Will Smith also received an assist on the winning goal. The overtime finish completed a three-point performance for Celebrini, who had opened the scoring and assisted on Toffoli's third-period equalizer before delivering the decisive goal himself.
Goaltending and Team Statistics
Nedeljkovic made 31 saves for San Jose, while Dobes stopped 26 shots for Montreal. The Canadiens finished with a 34-30 advantage in shots on goal, but the Sharks proved more effective at converting their opportunities when the game was on the line. San Jose went 2-for-3 on the power play, while Montreal finished 0-for-2. The Sharks' special-teams production proved decisive, with Toffoli tying the game on the power play in regulation and Celebrini scoring the overtime winner with the man advantage. Montreal's three leading scorers each finished with a goal and an assist. Suzuki helped tie the game in the first period, Slafkovsky put the Canadiens ahead in the second, and Caufield extended the lead. However, the home team could not protect its two-goal advantage.
The victory improved San Jose's record to 5-4-1, while Montreal fell to 4-3-2. For the Sharks, the result was a significant recovery after the previous night's defeat in Toronto. San Jose's win came through persistence, timely scoring and a decisive overtime finish. After falling behind 3-1, the Sharks scored twice in the third period and then converted their power-play opportunity in overtime. Celebrini provided the final touch, completing the comeback with his second goal of the night and giving San Jose a 4-3 road victory.