The Montreal Canadiens are returning to Carolina for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final, facing elimination after losing 4-0 in Game 4. There are plenty of reasons why they are down 3-1 in the series, but one of the big reasons is their inability to get shots on net, and they set a record with their performance in Game 4 that no NHL team would want.
According to SportsNet Stats, the Canadiens have now set the record for fewest shots on net over a three-game span of a playoff series with only 43. What makes this stat even more remarkable is that two of those three games went to overtime, and even still, the Canadiens could average less than 15 shots per game.
In Game 4, the Canadiens finished with 18 shots on net, but only three in the third period, and what makes it even more frustrating is that all three came in the final three minutes of the period. It got to a point where fans at the Bell Centre could be heard chanting "Shoot the Puck".
Nick Suzuki still believes in the Montreal Canadiens' gameplan
After the game, Nick Suzuki didn't seem overly concerned about the lack of shots and noted that this is not their game, to just have a huge volume of shots.
"Every single game we have played them this year, they have outshot us and we've won four," Suzuki said. "That's not our kind of game. Obviously we're shooting and they're getting good sticks, good blocks, and missing the net."
The Canadiens' captain certainly isn't wrong, as in the three regular-season games, the Canadiens had shots on goal of 23, 19, and 18. During the regular season, the Canadiens ranked near the bottom of the league in shots and prioritized quality over quantity with an average of 26.3 shots per game, which was 24th, but was second in shooting percentage at 12.9%
However, taking that approach, the margin of error is so small. When teams are not creating scoring chances at a high rate, and the few shots they do get are blocked before reaching the net, it creates a much bigger problem.
The Canadiens have shown at times in these playoffs that they can win with historically low shots on net, as they did in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but right now it just isn't working, and they need to put an emphasis on getting pucks on net to keep their season alive in Game 5.
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