Montréal Canadiens at Dallas Stars
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Dallas Stars on Jan 04, 2026. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 4, Dallas Stars 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 04, 2026 |
| Venue | American Airlines Center |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 4 |
| Dallas Stars score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Wyatt Johnston | C | 2 | 0 | 3 | 22:48 | 0.97 | 2.41 |
| 2nd | Miro Heiskanen | D | 0 | 1 | 5 | 27:27 | 0.21 | 2.35 |
| 3rd | Lane Hutson | D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27:58 | 0.14 | 2.06 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Dallas Stars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 08:42 | MTL | Brendan Gallagher | Phillip Danault, Alexandre Carrier | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 13:53 | DAL | Mavrik Bourque | Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 10:14 | DAL | Wyatt Johnston | Mikko Rantanen, Thomas Harley | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 11:59 | MTL | Oliver Kapanen | Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovský | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| 2nd 18:39 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson | 4v5 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 11:07 | DAL | Wyatt Johnston | Miro Heiskanen, Matt Duchene | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| OT 03:40 | MTL | Lane Hutson | Phillip Danault | 3v3 | 4–3 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Dallas Stars | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 29 | 27 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.84 | 3.90 |
| High-danger shots | 12 | 16 |
| Corsi % | 51.8% | 48.2% |
| Power play | 1/5 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 42.2% | 57.8% |
| Hits | 30 | 15 |
| Blocks | 13 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 3 | 7 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Hutson | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 27:58 | 0.14 | 2.06 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16:40 | 0.05 | 1.64 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15:46 | 0.67 | 1.43 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 20:21 | 0.76 | 1.27 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 17:24 | 0.28 | 0.60 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:10 | 0.11 | 0.58 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22:14 | 0.00 | 0.52 |
| Sammy Blais | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:20 | 0.00 | 0.37 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23:49 | 0.87 | 0.20 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11:06 | 0.25 | 0.07 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:41 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:08 | 0.05 | -0.05 |
| Owen Beck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:17 | 0.05 | -0.11 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:56 | 0.00 | -0.12 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:14 | 0.02 | -0.27 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:33 | 0.55 | -0.41 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:45 | 0.05 | -0.52 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26:38 | 0.09 | -0.72 |
Dallas Stars Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyatt Johnston | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 22:48 | 0.97 | 2.41 |
| Miro Heiskanen | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 27:27 | 0.21 | 2.35 |
| Mikko Rantanen | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:39 | 0.23 | 1.73 |
| Matt Duchene | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 17:34 | 0.61 | 1.72 |
| Thomas Harley | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24:24 | 0.19 | 0.94 |
| Esa Lindell | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:22 | 0.00 | 0.85 |
| Jason Robertson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23:18 | 0.27 | 0.80 |
| Adam Erne | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:41 | 0.09 | 0.53 |
| Mavrik Bourque | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16:23 | 0.37 | 0.41 |
| Roope Hintz | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19:03 | 0.15 | 0.37 |
| Ilya Lyubushkin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:27 | 0.00 | -0.01 |
| Justin Hryckowian | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:48 | 0.00 | -0.03 |
| Oskar Bäck | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:58 | 0.21 | -0.11 |
| Sam Steel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:57 | 0.33 | -0.11 |
| Alexander Petrovic | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:25 | 0.00 | -0.18 |
| Radek Faksa | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:47 | 0.07 | -0.19 |
| Jamie Benn | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:46 | 0.00 | -0.26 |
| Nils Lundkvist | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:05 | 0.01 | -1.08 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Montembeault | Montréal Canadiens | 24 | 27 | 88.9% | 0.53 | W |
| Jake Oettinger | Dallas Stars | 24 | 28 | 86.2% | 0.16 | O |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Dallas Stars 4–3 on Jan 04, 2026, a one-goal game.
Dallas Stars generated 3.9 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 3.84 — Dallas Stars owned the better of the chances but Montréal Canadiens took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Wyatt Johnston led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.41 on 2 goals, 3 shots on goal.
Samuel Montembeault stopped 24 of 27, worth 0.53 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Dallas Stars 4–3 on Jan 04, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 4, Dallas Stars 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Wyatt Johnston led all skaters at 2.41, on 2G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Dallas Stars generated 3.9 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 3.84, so Dallas Stars created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 29 shots on goal and Dallas Stars put 27. High-danger chances went 12 to 16.