The Montreal Canadiens Set the Tone for the Series in Game 1

The Montreal Canadiens could not have been any clearer about setting the tone for Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Not only did they win last night’s game 2-1, but they showed the Leafs that they’re ready to bring their speed and physicality up a notch, which is what ultimately allowed them to win – other than the “absolute wall” in net, as Josh Anderson said, talking about Carey Price.

Head Coach Dominique Ducharme had also received a lot of criticism regarding the lineup. Many, myself included, didn’t understand why the youngsters were not going to play in Game 1 and why others were in the lineup instead.

Let me tell you, these guys showed exactly why they were in the lineup last night, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were here to stay.

Montreal Canadiens’ Underdogs Show They Belong

Eric Staal is the first. Staal’s line with Corey Perry and Anderson looked absolutely dangerous out there, getting tons of chances and hits. It was a beautiful long pass by Staal that allowed Anderson to beat the Leafs’ defencemen to their zone and score a breakaway goal.

However, the first period wasn’t all positive, unfortunately. After Ben Chiarot laid a big hit on John Tavares,  Corey Perry tried but was not being able to stop or hop over a falling John Tavares, and that resulted in Tavares received Perry’s knee in the face. Watching Tavares being taken off the ice on a stretcher was absolutely heartbreaking to watch. On a positive note though, he seems to be doing better now, conscious and able to communicate.

The Leafs came back in the second period, wanting to play and win for their injured captain, and William Nylander was the one to score for them. The Leafs mostly dominated the second period.

But the Canadiens came back in the third period and gave it their all. And yet, another player whose name raised many questions once the lineup was released, stepped up and set up the shorthanded game-winning goal. Joel Armia cleared the puck, sending it to the Leafs’ zone and a flying Paul Byron was able to race down the other side of the ice and score a goal, on his knees nonetheless, after tripping over Rasmus Sandin who was trying to stop the play.

This was just mesmerizing to watch and Byron, time and time again, keeps surprising us with his speed.

Montreal Canadiens Players Back From Injuries

Although the first line was pretty quiet last night, it was nice to see Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault, and Brendan Gallagher reunited and I have zero doubt that they will start producing soon.

Shea Weber was also playing his first game since  Apr. 28. He was on the third pair with Jon Merrill, and although he was also pretty quiet, he had a few shots and that’s always a good thing to have.

Last but not least, we have to talk about Price’s amazing performance in net. He made some incredible saves, and I believe that if it wasn’t for him, the Leafs would have managed to sneak in some goals. Playoff Price has clearly been activated, and everybody loves to see it (well, except the opposing team).

However, the Canadiens seem unable to take a break from injuries. Jake Evans left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury, and didn’t come back in the third period. This could mean that we might see Jesperi Kotkaniemi take his place in the lineup if he’s not cleared to play Saturday.

And, finally, let’s talk about Cole Caufield. While I’m sure that we will eventually get to see him play in a playoff game, Ducharme’s lineup made a lot more sense after watching last night’s game, and I would understand his decision to keep him out of the lineup for Game 2.

However, the Canadiens could really use a goalscorer on the powerplay, for which they went 0/5 last night. So, it would seem like a good idea to bring him in to help on the powerplay. But, the question becomes who will have to be bumped out for Caufield to come in? And that’s not something we have the answer to just yet.

The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs will be meeting for Game 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST. If the Canadiens win, they will be leading the series 2-0, showing the Leafs they can’t be downplayed. If the Leafs win, it will be tied 1-1 and anyone’s round at this point.