For 57 minutes and 21 seconds, the Winnipeg Jets had no goals and no apparent path out of a nine-game winless streak. Then came one of the most compressed comebacks the NHL has ever seen.
Winnipeg scored four times in the final 2:39 of regulation Tuesday night, erased a 4–0 deficit against the Montreal Canadiens and won 5–4 when defenseman Dylan Samberg scored 3:30 into overtime at Bell Centre.
The rally was not merely improbable. It set a league mark: the Jets began the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history, surpassing the Los Angeles Kings’ 2007 record. The NHL’s official recap, its game summary and Reuters all confirm the sequence and the record.
Four goals, one frantic finish
Montreal looked firmly in control after Cole Caufield’s second power-play goal made it 4–0 just 46 seconds into the third period. The Canadiens had won five straight, while Winnipeg entered the game 0–7–2 over its previous nine and was coming off a 7–0 loss to Carolina.
The first crack appeared at 17:21, when Tyrel Bauer scored his first NHL goal after a dump-in took an unusual bounce off the boards. Morgan Barron followed 42 seconds later, converting a two-on-one rush to make it 4–2.
With goaltender Stuart Skinner pulled for an extra attacker, Kyle Connor scored on a one-timer at 19:00. Montreal then took a tripping penalty with 35 seconds left, giving Winnipeg a six-on-four advantage. Connor struck again at 19:27, tying the game with 33 seconds remaining.
From Bauer’s goal to Connor’s equalizer, Winnipeg had turned a shutout into a tie in 2 minutes, 6 seconds. The NHL’s play-by-play lists the four goals at 17:21, 18:03, 19:00 and 19:27.
Samberg finished what the Jets started
The ending arrived after Gabriel Vilardi won the puck along the boards in overtime. Adam Lowry found Samberg cutting into the right circle, and the defenseman beat Jacob Fowler on the blocker side for the winner.
Samberg’s goal gave Winnipeg its first victory since Oct. 13. Connor finished with two goals, Bauer and Barron each had a goal and an assist, and Fowler made 42 saves for Montreal despite the loss. Skinner stopped 18 shots for the Jets.
Why this comeback belongs in the record book
The previous latest start to a successful four-goal comeback belonged to Los Angeles, which began its rally with 7:14 left against Dallas on Nov. 10, 2007. Winnipeg waited until only 2:39 remained before scoring its first goal.
That difference matters because each passing second sharply reduces the number of possessions and stoppages available. Winnipeg needed nearly every element of a comeback script at once: a strange bounce, a rush chance, an extra attacker, a late penalty and two finishes from its leading scorer.
The Jets also generated 47 shots to Montreal’s 22, evidence that the final burst did not appear from nowhere. They had controlled large stretches without solving Fowler. Once Bauer broke through, the pressure became a cascade.
A night that could change Winnipeg’s season
One win does not erase a nine-game slide, but the manner of this one changes the emotional math. Instead of leaving Montreal with another loss after creating more chances, the Jets left with a league record and a result that rewarded their persistence.
For the Canadiens, the collapse ended a five-game winning streak and overshadowed Caufield’s two-goal night. For Winnipeg, it offered the rarest kind of reset: not just a victory, but a reminder that a game can change completely before the clock runs out.
Featured image: an original illustrative hockey scene created for Meeko News; it does not depict the actual game or players.
