Boston Bruins at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Montréal Canadiens on Mar 17, 2026. Final score: Boston Bruins 2, Montréal Canadiens 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 17, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Boston Bruins score | 2 |
| Montréal Canadiens 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 | Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 1 | 4 | 19:58 | 1.04 | 2.34 |
| 2nd | Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 24:20 | 0.49 | 2.30 |
| 3rd | Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21:41 | 0.22 | 1.96 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Boston Bruins–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 02:22 | BOS | Pavel Zacha | David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy | 4v5 | 1–0 |
| 1st 10:31 | MTL | Nick Suzuki | Juraj Slafkovský, Cole Caufield | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 05:41 | BOS | Pavel Zacha | Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 2nd 13:15 | MTL | Josh Anderson | Lane Hutson, Brendan Gallagher | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| OT 04:38 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson | 3v3 | 2–3 |
Team Comparison
| Boston Bruins | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 31 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.31 | 4.17 |
| High-danger shots | 11 | 21 |
| Corsi % | 42.0% | 58.0% |
| Power play | 1/3 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 47.2% | 52.8% |
| Hits | 32 | 26 |
| Blocks | 15 | 12 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 3 | 6 |
Boston Bruins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavel Zacha | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 16:22 | 0.56 | 1.61 |
| David Pastrnak | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24:35 | 0.19 | 0.59 |
| Charlie McAvoy | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 26:44 | 0.40 | 0.34 |
| Morgan Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15:53 | 0.22 | 0.32 |
| Jonathan Aspirot | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:21 | 0.26 | 0.29 |
| Viktor Arvidsson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:09 | 0.17 | 0.25 |
| Casey Mittelstadt | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:36 | 0.11 | 0.23 |
| Tanner Jeannot | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:00 | 0.00 | 0.23 |
| Mark Kastelic | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:37 | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| Michael Eyssimont | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:13 | 0.09 | 0.10 |
| Elias Lindholm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:14 | 0.21 | 0.09 |
| Andrew Peeke | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:44 | 0.08 | 0.05 |
| Sean Kuraly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:14 | 0.00 | -0.13 |
| Fraser Minten | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:42 | 0.12 | -0.21 |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:07 | 0.03 | -0.27 |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:32 | 0.00 | -0.40 |
| Hampus Lindholm | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:48 | 0.06 | -1.18 |
| Mason Lohrei | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:03 | 0.00 | -1.52 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 19:58 | 1.04 | 2.34 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24:20 | 0.49 | 2.30 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21:41 | 0.22 | 1.96 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:35 | 0.35 | 1.95 |
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22:27 | 0.24 | 1.04 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24:02 | 0.25 | 0.95 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10:37 | 0.09 | 0.93 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13:21 | 0.33 | 0.77 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17:29 | 0.63 | 0.63 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:00 | 0.06 | 0.51 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:19 | 0.06 | 0.46 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:40 | 0.02 | 0.38 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:36 | 0.08 | 0.27 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:39 | 0.22 | -0.01 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:43 | 0.00 | -0.03 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:14 | 0.06 | -0.17 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:20 | 0.19 | -0.44 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23:12 | 0.01 | -0.53 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 28 | 31 | 90.3% | 1.34 | O |
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 26 | 28 | 92.9% | 0.62 | W |
Analysis
The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins 3–2 on Mar 17, 2026, a one-goal game.
Montréal Canadiens generated 4.17 expected goals to Boston Bruins's 3.31 — Montréal Canadiens edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Cole Caufield led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.34 on 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 of 31, worth 1.34 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Boston Bruins vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Montréal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 3–2 on Mar 17, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Montréal Canadiens 3, Boston Bruins 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Cole Caufield led all skaters at 2.34, on 1G, 1A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 4.17 expected goals and Boston Bruins generated 3.31, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Boston Bruins put 28 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 31. High-danger chances went 11 to 21.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 of 31 (1.34 goals saved above expected); Jakub Dobes stopped 26 of 28 (0.62 goals saved above expected).