The Montreal Canadiens entered Friday night’s matchup with serious questions about how they would replace their injured captain.
And an unexpected hero put forth an emphatic response.
With Nick Suzuki sidelined for multiple weeks, veteran forward Jake Evans erupted for two goals and an assist in Montreal’s 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 23.
The three-point outing was remarkable since Evans had zero points through his first nine games of the 2026-27 season.
But with Montreal suddenly missing its leading scorer, Evans picked an opportune moment to end his offensive drought.
His contributions included a short-handed goal that proved to be the game-winner.
Evans Has Surprise 3-Point Performance for Canadiens
Evans wasted no time making his presence felt against Chicago.
After Connor Bedard gave the Blackhawks an early advantage, Evans tied the contest at 1-1 with 2:31 remaining in the first period.
Kirby Dach and Owen Beck assisted on the goal, which marked Evans’ first point of the season.
But he wasn’t finished.
With Chicago operating on the power play early in the second period, Evans capitalized to give Montreal its first lead of the evening.
The 30-year-old scored short-handed at the 7:45 mark, finishing a play set up by defenseman Kaiden Guhle.
It was Evans’ second goal of the night and his first multi-goal performance of the young campaign.
He then returned the favor later in the period.
Evans picked up an assist on Guhle’s goal with 1:34 remaining before the second intermission, extending Montreal’s advantage to 3-1.
Mike Matheson added an empty-net goal in the third period to seal the victory.
Per the NHL’s official game summary, Evans finished with two goals and one assist, accounting for three of Montreal’s four goals.
That production was quite the unexpected offensive lift from a player who had endured a frustrating start to the season.
And it emerged at a critical time.
Canadiens’ Challenge Without Suzuki
Montreal’s victory came one day after the organization announced that Suzuki would miss two to four weeks with an upper-body injury.
The 27-year-old sustained the injury during Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks due to being struck on the left hand by a shot.
According to the Canadiens’ official announcement, Suzuki had recorded 12 points, including five goals and seven assists, in nine games.
His inability to play also ended a remarkable streak of 546 consecutive regular-season appearances dating to his NHL debut in 2019.
That durability had made Suzuki a constant presence in Montreal’s lineup. Plus, the reigning Selke Trophy winner registered a career-high 101 points last season.
“It’s a huge loss,” Cole Caufield said Thursday, via The Associated Press. “Nobody can really fill Suzy’s shoes. We know that as a group. Everybody has to step up.”
It seems that collective responsibility is taking shape.
Head coach Martin St. Louis moved Oliver Kapanen into Suzuki’s spot between Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky on the top line against Chicago.
Evans, meanwhile, skated alongside Dach and Beck, who was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket in the wake of Suzuki’s injury.
Friday’s performance doesn’t solve Montreal’s long-term offensive apprehension, but it demonstrates the secondary production the team desperately needs.
And the Canadiens won’t have much time to celebrate.
They travel to Winnipeg for Sunday’s Heritage Classic against the Jets, with Suzuki still unavailable.
Canadiens Get Unexpected Hero Amidst Nick Suzuki Injury Blow