Caufield and Laine score in 2nd period to rally the Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the Predators

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine scored in the second period to rally the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night.

Jakub Dobes turned back 36 shots for the Canadiens, who extended their winning streak to five games after a five-game skid.

Steven Stamkos scored and Juuse Saros made 15 saves for Nashville, which was scoreless on four power plays and lost its sixth straight and for the seventh time in eight games.

Stamkos opened the scoring at 4:19 into the first off a feed from Filip Forsberg for his 25th of the season.

Caufield converted a pass from Nick Suzuki less than two minutes into the second period, tying the score at 1. It was Caufield's 36th goal of the season. Laine scored the go-ahead goal, his 20th of the season, just over four minutes later.

Nashville's Matthew Wood made his NHL debut. The 20-year-old winger, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, finished with one shot in just over 13 minutes.

Canadiens: Montreal (38-30-9) holds the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Ottawa (42-29-6, 90 points) and six points ahead of the New York Rangers (36-33-7) and Detroit Red Wings (36-33-7).

Predators: Saros lost his third straight decision and for the fourth time in his last six games.

Lane Hutson's assist on Laine's goal was his 58th of the season and gave the 21-year-old from Holland, Michigan, 64 points, tying Chris Chelios' franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman.

Nashville carried the play in the second period and had a 15-8 edge in shots on goal in the frame. But, Montreal scored two goals in the period to take a lead it never relinquished. The Predators outshot the Canadiens 37-17 overall.

The Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. The Predators host the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Montreal Canadiens left wing Michael Pezzetta (55) fights with Nashville Predators defenseman Andreas Englund (8) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) and Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (52) chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) vie for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators left wing Kieffer Bellows (26) falls over the stick of Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovský (20) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) passes the puck backwards to Steven Stamkos (91) as Montreal Canadiens center Oliver Kapanen (91) follows during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) makes a stop on a shot by Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) chases the puck ahead of Nashville Predators defenseman Jordan Oesterie (82) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators left wing Zachary L'Heureux (68) and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) follow the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that NATO should help the U.S. acquire Greenland and anything less than American control is unacceptable, hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterated his argument that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, is at the center of a geopolitical storm as Trump insists he wants to own it — and residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it isn't for sale. The White House hasn't ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.

Vance is to meet Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt in Washington later Wednesday to discuss Greenland.

Along the narrow, snow-covered main street in Nuuk, international journalists and camera crews have been stopping passersby every few meters (feet) asking them for their thoughts on a crisis which Denmark’s prime minister has warned could potentially trigger the end of NATO.

Tuuta Mikaelsen, a 22-year-old student, told The Associated Press in Nuuk that she hoped American officials would get the message to “back off."

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a news conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday that "if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

Asked later Tuesday about Nielsen's comments, Trump replied: “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him.”

Greenland is strategically important because, as climate change causes the ice to melt, it opens up the possibility of shorter trade routes to Asia. That also could make it easier to extract and transport untapped deposits of critical minerals which are needed for computers and phones.

Trump said in Wednesday's post that Greenland is “vital” to the United States' Golden Dome missile defense program. He also has said he wants the island to expand America’s security and has cited what he says is the threat from Russian and Chinese ships as a reason to control it.

But both experts and Greenlanders question that claim.

“The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” heating engineer Lars Vintner said. He said he frequently goes sailing and hunting and has never seen Russian or Chinese ships.

His friend, Hans Nørgaard, agreed, adding “what has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy.”

Denmark has said the U.S. — which already has a military presence — can boost its bases on Greenland. For that reason, “security is just a cover,” Vintner said, suggesting Trump actually wants to own the island to make money from its untapped natural resources.

Nørgaard said he filed a police complaint in Nuuk against Trump’s “aggressive” behavior because, he said, American officials are threatening the people of Greenland and NATO.

Mikaelsen, the student, said Greenlanders benefit from being part of Denmark, which provides free health care, education and payments during study, and “I don’t want the U.S. to take that away from us."

Following the White House meeting, Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., are due to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus in the U.S. Congress.

Two lawmakers — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican — have introduced bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the use of funds from the U.S. Defense or State departments to annex or take control of Greenland or the sovereign territory of any NATO member state without that ally’s consent or authorization from the North Atlantic Council.

A bipartisan delegation of lawmakers is also heading to Copenhagen at the end of the week to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Last week, Denmark’s major European allies joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in issuing a statement declaring that Greenland belongs to its people and that “it is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told RTL radio that his country plans to open a consulate in Greenland on Feb. 6, following a decision last summer to open the diplomatic outpost.

“Attacking another NATO member would make no sense; it would even be contrary to the interests of the United States. And I’m hearing more and more voices in the United States saying this,” Barrot said. “So this blackmail must obviously stop.”

Geir Moulson in Berlin, Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.

A fisherman carries a bucket onto his boat in the harbor of Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A boat travels at the sea inlet in Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People walk near the church in Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A bird stands on a boat at the harbour of Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People walk along a street in downtown of Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)