The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 in a six-round shootout at Honda Center on Friday, March 6, 2026, after surrendering a one-goal lead late in regulation. Chris Kreider drove the victory with a goal and three assists, leading all skaters in a contest that swung three times across the final frame.

The win banked two standings points in a game that briefly looked lost. Montreal clawed back from a 4-2 deficit to grab a 5-4 edge before the Ducks forced overtime and closed it out. Both clubs traded chances at an aggressive pace, and the final score reflects how little separated these two teams across sixty-plus minutes of play.

How the Anaheim Ducks Built Their Early Lead

Anaheim struck fast. Gauthier scored 39 seconds into the game, finishing a rush with a snap shot from the right face-off circle to take a 1-0 lead. The Ducks pushed ahead 3-2 by the second period, with LaCombe converting on the power play at 12:15 of the middle frame. That man-advantage goal gave Anaheim a cushion heading into the final twenty minutes.

LaCombe’s power-play marker came from the top of the right circle — a textbook setup with the shooter positioned high, forcing the goaltender to respect the threat from distance. The Ducks converted that look cleanly. Anaheim then extended the margin to 4-2 before Montreal launched its comeback sequence.

Gauthier’s opening tally set a tone that Anaheim largely controlled through forty minutes. The quick strike just past the faceoff whistle reflected the kind of fast-twitch transition play that coaches prize when evaluating forward lines. Three of Anaheim’s five regulation goals originated from the right side of the ice, a tendency Montreal’s penalty killers could not neutralize.

The numbers reveal a team that controlled tempo early. Anaheim converted two of its power-play opportunities while Montreal’s penalty kill broke down at a critical moment in the second period. Film from that LaCombe goal shows the Ducks cycling the puck until the shooting lane opened cleanly.

Montreal’s Comeback and the Ducks’ Response

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Montreal mounted a three-goal run late in regulation to take a 5-4 lead. Cole Caufield scored twice and Alexandre Carrier added one. Caufield’s first tally cut the deficit to 4-3 at 8:41, converting from the left circle. Carrier knotted it at 4-4 from the inside edge of the right face-off dot at 11:47. Caufield then put Montreal ahead 5-4 at 13:04, redirecting a Dobson shot at the net front.

Two Caufield goals in under five minutes — one off a direct release, one off a deflection — show the range that makes him dangerous in both structured and chaotic situations. Carrier’s contribution added a secondary threat that Anaheim’s defensive pair could not contain during that stretch. The Canadiens outscored the Ducks 3-0 across roughly four minutes of play, a burst that nearly decided the outcome.

Anaheim’s drop from 4-2 to trailing 5-4 raises questions about zone coverage assignments. An alternate reading is that Montreal simply executed at a high level — Caufield, Carrier, and Dobson all contributed — and the Ducks’ response by forcing overtime and winning the shootout reflects resilience rather than a systemic breakdown. Either way, that late-game sequence is the clearest area of concern from this result.

The film from those four minutes is instructive. Caufield’s second goal came off a net-front redirect, a play that demands tight defensive positioning. Carrier’s tying goal exploited an interior lane that opened when Anaheim’s coverage shifted toward the perimeter. The Ducks allowed three goals in under five minutes of that stretch — a sequence the coaching staff will want to address before the next game.

Key Developments from the Honda Center Win

• Chris Kreider recorded a goal and three assists for a four-point night, leading all skaters.
• Gauthier scored 39 seconds into the first period, finishing a rush from the right face-off circle for a 1-0 Anaheim lead.
• LaCombe converted on the power play at 12:15 of the second period, shooting from the top of the right circle to push the lead to 3-2.
• Caufield scored twice — at 8:41 and 13:04 — with Carrier adding a goal at 11:47 to fuel Montreal’s rally.
• A Jacob Trouba wrist shot through traffic from the right point, scored 20 seconds into the game, was disallowed after a coaches’ challenge confirmed Kreider was offside prior to the play.

What the Shootout Result Means for Anaheim

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Shootout victories carry the same two standings points as overtime wins in the NHL regular season. For a franchise tracking on-ice development alongside its draft and cap strategy, banking points in close games matters. Anaheim’s goaltender held firm when Montreal pressed hardest across all six rounds of the shootout.

The result also reflects how the Ducks’ top-six forward group responded after falling behind. Kreider’s four-point output anchored Anaheim’s offensive production and gave the team a reliable focal point through a volatile final period. The Ducks absorbed a multi-goal swing and still earned full points — a data point that carries weight in any standings conversation.

From a fantasy hockey perspective, Kreider’s four-point night confirms his value as a top-line contributor. Caufield’s two goals and one assist for Montreal — in a defeat — confirm his status as one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons. Both players delivered stat-line production that affects weekly scoring across most standard formats.

Anaheim’s defensive structure late in regulation — specifically the three goals allowed during that brief window — warrants attention from the coaching staff. The Ducks surrendered two Caufield goals and a Carrier goal in rapid succession, pointing to a zone coverage lapse rather than individual goaltender failure. Whether the staff adjusts its coverage assignments will be visible across the next several contests.