Nick Suzuki accomplished a Canadiens feat not seen since 2003 against the Capitals

The The Montreal Canadiens are on the rise lately. The Canadiens are torn about the setback earlier in the season. However, captain Nick Suzuki and his team turned things around in a huge way. Montreal has won nine of its last 11 games after beating the Washington Capitals on Friday night. As a result, they are one point short of a Wild Card spot.

Suzuki scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Habs a 3-2 win. This is Suzuki’s second consecutive overtime goal. He also scored the game-winning goal in the Canadiens’ 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Moreover, this goal gave the Montreal captain a feat that no player with the famous franchise has achieved in the last 20 years.

Suzuki is the Canadiens’ first baseman with a streak of 12 points against a team since 2003, according to NHL Public Relations. Saku Koivu is the last player to accomplish that feat while wearing a Montreal sweater. The former Canadiens star had a 15-point streak against the Tampa Bay Lightning that ended on December 13, 2003.

Nick Suzuki is leading the Canadiens closer to a playoff spot

Nick Suzuki and the Canadiens fell behind early Friday night. Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun managed to score on the power play in the first period. However, Montreal did not roll over. Cole Coffield and Josh Anderson scored in the second period for a 2-1 lead.

However, the Capitals are one of the best teams in the NHL for a reason. Veteran forward Lars Eller scored his eighth goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2 less than two minutes into the third period. Both teams tried to wrap things up in regulation, but needed extra time. Suzuki’s winner came just 75 seconds into overtime.

The Canadiens are now on the brink of the last Wild Card spot in the East. They remain a point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets — another rebuilding team in the midst of a rebuild. Furthermore, they face heavy competition from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators.

The Canadiens wanted to be more competitive on the ice in the 2024-25 season. It took a minute to put it all together, but the team seems to have found a way. Montreal hasn’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a season that hasn’t been affected by COVID since 2017. If they keep this up, the Habs could very well be back in the postseason sooner than anyone expected.