While the Montreal Canadiens have not played their best over the last two games, they managed to keep it competitive till the very end. Montreal was a drag skate away from taking the series lead, but will now be looking to finish their home stand with a win and head back to Carolina with the series tied at two. If the Canadiens want to make that a reality, they need Game 4 to play out similarly to Game 1. Not that they need to score six goals to win, but they need to get to the Hurricanes to play from behind, because when they have the lead, especially going into the third period, they have become nearly impossible to beat.
Canadiens getting caught up in Hurricanes game plan
The Hurricanes are at their best when tied late in games or heading into the third with the lead. They have a 37-2-2 record when leading after two periods in the regular season. They are one of the more defensively responsible teams, with excellent two-way players and a great defensive core, including the best defensive defenceman in the NHL, Jaccob Slavin. Carolina is built for tightly contested hockey games, which is unsurprising, given that in one-goal games, they have a 24-4-7 record.
Games 2 and 3 have been played in the Hurricanes’ comfort zone, either going into the third with the lead or tied up going into the final frame. Their high-pressure approach works wonders late in games, especially if the opposing team is trailing. Teams start to panic, trying to force plays, which leads to turnovers, as we have seen at the end of the previous two games. The Hurricanes are a completely different team when they are asked to play from behind, and that is what the Canadiens need to capitalize on.
Montreal needs to take the lead early
We saw what the Canadiens can do when they had an early lead in Game 1. Not that they need to be up 4-1 after the first again, but having a 2-0 lead after the first instead of trying to fight back into the game could make the world of a difference. The Canadiens have the ability to bend but not break throughout the playoffs. No matter the score, there will be times when they have to defend for their lives, but the pressure will not be on them if they go into those situations with the lead.
The Hurricanes are great when they are out in front. It is hard to break them down defensively, but if they go into the third period trailing, they struggle getting back into contests. They have a 5-15-2 record when entering the third period trailing. Even in this series, despite being up 2-1, the Hurricanes have yet to score a goal in the third period. The Canadiens need to come out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Make the Hurricanes chase them instead of the other way around. While this is not a win-or-go-home game, it has all the feelings of one and will need to get to Carolina’s goalie, Frederik Andersen, early if they want any chance of tying up the series.
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