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Canadiens Highlights: Lack Of Shots Cost Habs In Game 3
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- Canadiens Highlights: Lack Of Shots Cost Habs In Game 3
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night, looking to gain an advantage in the Eastern Conference Final.
The game required overtime, and though the Canadiens were bolstered by an enthusiastic crowd, it was the Hurricanes that emerged with a 3-2 win.
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Let's dive into the highlights!
Familiar Script
The Hurricanes got off to the better start, which is not surprising, because the Canadiens refuse to take control of games early in the first period.
For the most part, they need the other team to build momentum before they respond. It's far from an ideal strategy, especially facing a team that does not allow very many goals, such as Carolina.
The Hurricanes obliged, opening the scoring midway through the first period via yet another important goal while their fourth line was on the ice. It was the third straight game in which the Hurricanes scored first .
There It Is
As per usual, the Canadiens woke up once their opponents reminded them they were participating in a professional sports event.
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This time around, it was veteran Mike Matheson who found the back of the net, with the help Jake Evans on the forecheck, and rookie Ivan Demidov 's clean pass.
It was Matheson's second goal of the playoffs, but it was not enough to ensure the teams would go into the first intermission tied, as Taylor Hall scored just a few moments later, when Josh Anderson failed to provide solid coverage in the defensive zone.
Phenom At Play
The Habs desperately needed their best players to drive the charge, a situation that has not yielded many encouraging results in the playoffs.
For example, Cole Caufield is scoring about three times fewer goals per 60 at 5v5, handicapping Montreal's offence to the nth degree.
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Caufield did not score the second goal of the game for the Habs, but he did play a crucial role, setting up superstar defenceman Lane Hutson for a relatively easy tap-in goal five minutes into the second period.
To be specific, the tap-in part of the goal was easy, but it must be said that Hutson did a great job starting the play, and then creating speed in transition. It should also be noted Dobes earned an assist on the play, a great sign that the Canadiens were able to create a little offence off the rush.
Running The Goalie
One recurring theme in the playoffs has been opposing teams running Dobes at full speed, without any intention of hitting the brakes.
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It happened with the Tampa Bay Lightning , the Buffalo Sabres , and now, because of Sean Walker , it happened versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
Jake Evans responded to the attempt to hurt Dobes, and was penalized on the play, resulting in 4v4 hockey. In other words, the NHL has given teams the green light to steam roll Dobes, as this was not the first time an opponent ran him without having to deal with a penalty kill.
It's a frustrating situation, but such is life in the NHL, where protecting players is never a priority.
Nobody Liked That
For a brief moment, it appeared the Canadiens had taken a 3-2 lead via Noah Dobson 's first goal of the playoffs,
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But the worst rule in hockey came to the forefront, as the Hurricanes triggered an offside review, and the goal was denied.
To be clear, it was the right decision, but the offside review itself is an affront to the fastest sport on earth. It turns hockey into one of the most boring, slow-paced, demoralizing sports on earth.
( Editor's Note : The tweet embedded below mentions Dobes, but it was indeed Dobson .)
Another One
As has been the case throughout the playoffs, 60 minutes was not enough to decide a winner, sending the Habs to yet another overtime session.
All things considered, Montreal was lucky to enter into a next-goal-wins scenario, as they were outchanced by the Hurricanes to the tune of 11-4 in regulation (5v5).
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Simply put, the Hurricanes smothered them in the neutral zone, mitigating the opportunities to take shots. And when they did have decent shooting opportunities, they often opted for a high-difficulty pass rather than a quick shot.
To put a fine point on the discrepancy, the shot attempts were 78-38 (all situations) in favour of the Hurricanes after 60 minutes of play.
To Montreal's credit, they started overtime with a much better effort than they provided in previous periods, including a good scoring chance for Nick Suzuki , and a crossbar from Matheson.
Game Winner
The other shoe finally dropped a few moments later, when Sebastian Aho secured the overtime win, via a deflected shot that beat Dobes in the top corner.
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The Hurricanes barely won Game 3, but they were certainly the better team.
The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Wednesday, hosting the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre for Game 4. The puck drop is scheduled for 8 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick .
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