The Canadiens top line provided a crucial spark, but mistakes proved costly

The Montreal Canadiens' top line was leaned on heavily on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils when the team needed them most.

New Jersey held onto a two-goal lead heading into the middle frame, after doubling up the Canadiens in shot (12-6). But Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki spoiled Jake Allen's shutout bid at the 3:50 mark. Cole Caufield drew the primary assist on the tally, a beautiful one-timer in the slot, and Juraj Slafkovsky grabbed the second assist.

Allen almost had the last laugh in regulation, but the Habs top trio had other ideas, pulling through when the team needed it most. The plays that made Slafkovsky successful in the past, mirrored the one he made to keep the puck alive in the Devils' zone. Slafkovsky outmuscled his opponent and made a quick pass to Caufield, who found Suzuki wide-open.

I would expect that head coach Martin St. Louis was none too pleased with the Habs latest installment of starting the game half-asleep. While the team showed their resilience and fighter's mentality, it doesn't translate well having to play from behind all the time. The Habs have begun a trend of sleepy starts, and if they wish to remain in playoff contention, correcting it in short order would be wise.

Unfortunately, Montreal surrendered the next goal, allowing the Devils to regain their two-goal lead. Slafkovsky, however, was feeling hot and made a great play at his blueline finding a streaking Suzuki heading through the neutral zone. Suzuki made a nice drop pass to Caufield at the top of the Devils zone, and Caufield did the rest, showing off his puck skills before firing a laser past Allen.

Each game is important at this juncture, but I have to think that the Habs, while happy to have an old friend visiting, wanted to send him home with a loss. Down 3-2 entering the third period, despite being outshot 28-22, Jakub Dobes and the Canadiens still had some signs of life. The hero you expected tied the game for the Habs, that's right - Alexandre Carrier fired home his first goal as a Hab, which was his second of the season.

Suzuki earned the secondary assist on the tally, his third point of the night. With his one goal and two assist effort, the Canadiens captain now has 50 points through 49 games. Meanwhile, Caufield has 46 points in 49 games, and Slafkovsky 28 through 46 games.

Carrier, though, wow does Kent Hughes ever deserve a filet mignon dinner after the heist he pulled off from Barry Trotz? I get that Justin Barron is still young, and he has plenty of tools that should translate to a top-four defender, but it just hasn't happened. Carrier, however, has been exactly that a top-four, shutdown defender and he has a bomb of a slapshot.

Montreal battled their way back, forcing overtime and securing one point after a game where, at times, it wasn't so sure that they would crack the scoresheet.

Well, overtime was forgettable

One thing that you can't deny is that the team battled hard, and righted their wrongs. But they made far too many mistakes, and the final one was particularly costly. Say what you want about Mike Matheson, but it wasn't his night, and that is becoming a regular thing.

Patrik Laine fed Matheson a cross-zone pass, and while it was a little off the mark, Matheson wasn't positioned well to receive the pass. Matheson bobbled the puck, and instead of just dumping it behind the net, he shot himself in the foot trying to handle it. The puck turned over, and Devils superstar Jack Hughes made no mistake icing the game on an overtime breakaway.

Matheson might want to burn the film from tonight's game.