The Montreal Canadiens had a dominant performance in Game 3 as they went on to win 6-2 and have a great opportunity ahead of them on Tuesday night. If they can secure another win in front of the home crowd, they will take a 3-1 series lead over the Buffalo Sabres and need just one more win to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
In Game 3, the Canadiens got some great individual performances from players like Jakub Dobes, Lane Hutson, and Joe Veleno, to name a few. When looking ahead to Game 4, these are three players in particular worth watching closely for the Montreal Canadiens.
Alex Newhook
These playoffs have been a breakout performance for Alex Newhook as he leads the Canadiens in goals with five in the past four playoff games. Recently, the goal scoring has really picked up as he has had two in each of the past two games against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Canadiens were going to need players to step up to provide secondary scoring in the playoffs. However, it was expected that it was going to complement Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Instead, players like Newhook and Zachary Bolduc have had to carry the scoring workload. It will be worth watching whether or not Newhook can continue his goal streak on Tuesday night.
Ivan Demidov
In Game 3, Caufield and Slafkovsky finally got back in the goal column with power play goals, but one player who is still searching for his first career playoff goal is Ivan Demidov. It certainly isn't for a lack of trying, but it has seemingly been more bad luck than anything.
On Sunday night, Demidov would have six shots and came painfully close to scoring with one of those shots hitting the post. The former first-round pick was excellent in the regular season with 19 goals and a shooting percentage of 15%.
A goal in Game 4 would not only be a weight off the young player's shoulders but also be a boost for the team as they try to keep their momentum going.
Alexandre Carrier
The Canadiens' blueline has been excellent the entire playoffs, but recently, Alexandre Carrier has stood out, making an impact on both ends of the ice. Over 10 playoff games, Carrier has three points, but two of them have been in the last two games, with a goal in Game 2 and then an assist in Game 3.
However, he is also making a huge impact on the defensive end as well, particularly in Game 3. In the last game against the Sabres, he led the team in blocks with four while on the ice for the second-highest total at 24:31, including over four minutes of penalty kill time.
In 5v5 situations, the Canadiens had a huge advantage over the Sabres when Carrier was on the ice, and the Canadiens finished with seven high-danger chances compared to the Sabres having only one, according to Natural Stat Trick.
While a win in Game 4 won't clinch the series for the Montreal Canadiens, it will put them in great position as they head back to Buffalo for Game 5.
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