Bolduc scores in shootout as Canadiens hold off Red Wings 1-0

The Montreal Canadiens needed nearly the entire night to separate from the Detroit Red Wings, and when regulation ended scoreless, the shootout delivered. Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round, Jacob Fowler turned aside Detroit’s final attempt that he faced, and the Canadiens escaped with a 1-0 victory in the tiebreaker.

Fowler’s performance carried the game before the shootout even began. The Canadiens goaltender stopped 30 shots over 65 minutes of regulation and overtime, keeping Detroit from converting its scoring chances into a lead. With the game tied 0-0, every save mattered, and Detroit had to rely on the small edges that show up in a cleanly played overtime.

In the shootout, Montreal struck first when Bolduc got past Detroit goalie Daniil Tarasov. The reported sequence matters because it set the tone: after Bolduc beat Tarasov through the pads for the first shootout goal, the Canadiens took control of the round-by-round pressure while still needing Fowler to maintain the shutout in the tiebreaker.

Detroit responded by staying in the race through the earlier rounds, but the deciding moment came late. Fowler then made the key stop against Nate Danielson, stopping Detroit’s attempt and preserving the advantage Montreal had already established with Bolduc’s goal.

The final outcome means Montreal gets a full point from a game that offered limited margin for error. For the Red Wings, the result is a reminder that creating chances is only half the challenge when the opposition goaltender is sharp and the game runs dry until the skills competition.

Both teams will treat this as a baseline assessment of style and execution. For Montreal, it reinforces the value of a disciplined defensive structure that turns a tight game into a goaltending matchup where special teams and decision-making in the shootout can decide standings-relevant points.

For Detroit, the loss does not change the underlying takeaway that the game stayed locked for the long stretches. It will likely sharpen the focus on converting late opportunities and on how players approach shootout lanes when the opposing goalie is set and tracking the puck well.