The Minnesota Wild (28-14-9) dropped its last game of the road trip in a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens (28-15-7).

Montreal scored with 15 seconds left to take a 4-3 lead in the third period.

That lead held up.

Wild General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin is also Team USA's General Manager for the 2026 Olympics coming up next month.

The Canadiens have two players on their team that were left off the USA roster. Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson. Both are on the smaller side and aren't physical.

Caufield, 25, is tenth in the NHL in goals with 25 and has 49 points in 50 games. He is first in the NHL in game-winning goals with seven. All he does is score and it always is big goals at crucial times.

But he is 5-foot-8.

Hutson, 21, recorded 60 assists and 66 points during his rookie season last year and won the Calder Trophy. He has nine goals, 43 assists and 55 points in 50 games this season.

Demidov holds, fakes, and then sends it to Hutson to finish the job! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uOEue2FxNg
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 21, 2026

Not only does he lead all defensemen in the NHL in points, but Hutson ranks sixth in the NHL in assists. Only Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, Mikko Ranatanen, Nathan McKinnon and Nikita Kucherov have more assists.

So in their first game against the Wild since being left off the Olympic roster, Hutson and Caufield came up huge.

Hutson scored the go-ahead goal in the second period to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his second of the night on the power play to tie the game in the third.

That was until the Canadians scored with 15 seconds left.

Who was it?

Caufield from Hutson.

.@usahockey pic.twitter.com/jUck62SBbY
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 21, 2026

That goal was Caufield's 21st game-winning goal in the third period or in overtime since making his debut in 2020-21.

The only players with more tallies over that span are Leon Draisaitl (28), Sebastian Aho (28), Sidney Crosby (23) and Steven Stamkos (23).

The win for the Canadiens snapped a nine-game losing streak against Minnesota.

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