Montreal Canadiens Struggle to Solve Carter Hart in Game 1
The Montreal Canadiens geared up to play Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. They kept pace the entire night but were unable to get on the scoreboard due to their own lack of finish and an inability to solve Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.
By the time the trade deadline had come and gone in the month of February, the Montreal Canadiens odds at making it into the playoffs seem further and further implausible, but when the NHL came back from its shutdown with a return-to-play plan, the Canadiens were given a second chance. This was one they did not waste, as was proven during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers when the Canadiens outplayed the Penguins in the final two games of that series.
They were now prepared to face off against the Philadelphia Flyers who were deemed the top seed in the Eastern Conference after a series of games against the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Washington Capitals.
The Montreal Canadiens would have to play to the best of their abilities in order to ensure the Philadelphia Flyers would not run away with this series. Loss aside, they should they are capable of doing so in tonight’s tilt.
Period One: Slow Start to the Series
It was a slow start to the game, almost as if it didn’t have the playoff excitement we expect from games like these. Jonathan Drouin took a slashing penalty, granting the Philadelphia Flyers their first man advantage as well as their first goal. Ivan Provorov got the Flyers their first powerplay goal of the playoffs. Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny.
This was certainly not the start to the series Jonathan Drouin after a strong game 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’d have to be better moving forward. He did just that as the game progressed.
This is Where the Fun Begins
There was no question in mind that the second period play resembled a playoff game much closer than any minute played in the first. Both the Canadiens and Flyers exchanged exciting scoring chances that were halted by Carey Price on one end and Carter Hart on the other while the players beg
Shea Weber scored the lone powerplay goal for the Montreal Canadiens that was granted due to a holding call on Flyers forward Nicholas Aube-Kubel. This tie was short-lived as Joel Farabee scored to give the Philadelphia the 2-1 lead that they would carry all the way to the end of regulation. Travis Sanheim assisted on the play in which the Canadiens were unsure if they had gotten the puck out of their zone, putting Carey Price on the rebound that he had no time to react on.
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Struggling to Solve Carter Hart
The third period, like the two before it, had one thing in common. Carter Hart. The 22-year old netminder who grew up idolizing Carey Price put on a performance of his own too. Hart finished the night with 28 shots against and a .964 SV%.
Hart’s quality performance aside, there are several Canadiens who struggled offensively throughout the game who would have made a big difference had they played closer to their regular-season selves. In this case, Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar.
Neither of the two players got on the scoresheet in their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which will need to change if the Canadiens want any chance of advancing. Brendan Gallagher looks to be slowly picking up the pace and doing what he does best, causing havoc in the crease. Tomas Tatar, on the other hand, has yet to make any notable plays after career-year prior to the NHL’s shutdown. In a low-scoring game like tonight’s, their offence will be relied on in the following games.
Final Score: Philadelphia Flyers (2) – Montreal Canadiens (1)
Looking Ahead
The Montreal Canadiens were able to play a tight game against the Flyers, avoiding a blowout as many may have prematurely predicted, but their good game featured questionable gaffes that should not find their way into the remaining games if they want to get back into this.
Max Domi spent the entirety of play-in series on the fourth line had been relatively quiet up until this game when he showed new-found energy when being placed on a line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jonathan Drouin. Given Domi’s style of play and personality, many expect him to be the type of player to excel in the playoffs.
In his first post-season appearance, this would be the perfect time to take advantage of that. If Domi is back on the fourth line when the Canadiens play Game 2 against the wonder, you have to wonder if the coaching staff has lost faith in him or is simply is still trying with an experiment that has yielded little results.
One aspect of the Canadiens’ game that should be taken into consideration before their next game is the third pairing of Victor Mete and Xavier Ouellet. Nothing was going their way tonight and almost put the team in comprising positions. A shakeup could be what this pairing needs if they do not improve, and if that is the case, we may see Cale Fleury play his first playoff game sometime soon.
A historical change that leads to the Stanley Cup Final. dark. Next
The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers will play Game 2 of their series on Friday at 3:00pm ET. It can be watched on Sportsnet, NBCSN and can also be heard on the radio at TSN690.