MONTREAL This was no soul-sucking, hope-wrecking loss; just a tough one the Montreal Canadiens can and must turn away from quickly, with Game 4 less than 24 hours away and a 2-1 series deficit to overcome before going back to Toronto.
Was this 2-1 loss frustrating? You bet.
The Canadiens were once again held to just one goal for a second time in this series. They had a four-minute power play at the start of the game and mustered just one measly scoring chance on itit didnt even count for a shot on goaland they failed to establish a forecheck or sustained offensive-zone time for more than half the game. And yes, this has become an exhausting storyline around these parts, with Carey Price pulling miracles out of his you-know-whatthere was something divine about the way he dove across his crease and extended his stick to deflect Jason Spezzas shot away from a gaping net in the first periodand the team in front of him incapable of just doing what it takes at the other end of the ice.
It was the same thing last summer, with the Canadiens falling in six games to the Philadelphia Flyers after getting held to two goals or less in four and held to zero in two, and with Price saving 93.6 per cent of the shots he faced. Flashback to 2017, when the Canadiens scored just 11 goals in a six-game series loss to the New York Rangers, back when the last playoff game was held at the Bell Centre, and Price was at .933.
But if he isnt discouraged right now, no one else on the Canadiens should be.
Im not frustrated at all, to be honest, the 33-year-old goaltender said after making 26 saves to render his save percentage a .929 through three games. I believe in these guys. These guys are talented guys. I see their shots in practice every day, and I have no doubt that they have the ability to score goals. Theyre trying out there, I know they are, and its going to come.
Nick Suzuki found one to tie the game 1-1 in the 14th minute of the second period. Tyler Toffoli, who scored 28 goals in 52 games over the regular season and who has always performed well in the playoffs, isnt likely to remain at zero. Neither is Brendan Gallaghera consistent 20-goal man whos topped 30 twice and plays a brand of hockey made for the playoffs.
Cole Caufield, the 20-year-old rookie who clanked the post with his first of six shot attempts in his first-ever playoff game, could break through next time he steps on the ice, despite the job the Maple Leafs are doing to make it difficult on him and all the other Canadiens.
Theyre playing some pretty solid defence on their side, but were going to find a way to get through that, said Price. Their goaltenders playing well, were going to have to make it more difficult for him.
These arent last years Leafs. Many of the core players remain, but theyve evolvedand that was clear throughout a regular season that saw them dominate the all-Canadian North Division from wire-to-wire.
These Leafs werent looking to run up the 2-1 score they carried into the third period after William Nylander took advantage of an ill-timed icing and a well-designed faceoff play to sneak a shot through traffic and bank it off Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot in front of Price, and after Morgan Rielly finished one of several lengthy offensive-zone sequences with a well-disguised shotselling a pass to the slot before pumping one through on the short side. Without top-six forwards John Tavares and Nick Foligno at their disposal, they turned into the New Jersey Devils of the late-90s and early 2000s, falling into an 0-5 trap and treating the front of Campbells crease like a battle royale for most of the frame.
The Leafs clogged the middle, they played smart and disciplined hockey and Campbell stood tall when he had to, pushing aside 15 shots in the third alone. What they did in the first and second was make the Canadiens chase their own tail, forcing Price to dip into his bag of tricks with the magical save on Spezzaand 11 excellent ones on shots Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner combined to throw his way.
But the Canadiens pushed back in the third and have to continue to push when the puck drops in Tuesdays game.
That starts with playing with pace through the neutral zone, as coach Dominique Ducharme said after the game. And when the Canadiens get their chances, guys like Gallagher need to bear down.
Theres certain areas Ive got to keep getting better at, but I felt pretty good here, he said. Everyones going to look at goals. I know goals are hard to come by, and I know Im going to have to score an important one as the series goes on, but for me, Ive always told you guys the same thingas long as the chances are going Ive had enough looks here the last couple of games, Ive just got to find a way to put one by the goalie and contribute that way, but I feel good.
Its not often players say that after losing a gameespecially one of this magnitudebut thats the mental resolve needed to approach the situation the Canadiens are facing.
They must derive inspiration from the chance Price is giving them, and from the words he said after the game.
Its huge, Canadiens captain Shea Weber said. To step in and say something like thathe believes in the guys, and I think itll give them confidence and give us confidence to hopefully break through here coming forward.
It nearly happened on Monday, despite Torontos strong play. Theres no reason it cant happen on Tuesday.
Its low-scoring, tight-checking games in the playoffs, said Gallagher. Theyre dealing with the same thing were dealing with; its just a matter of find a way. I think weve had enough looks, weve just got to find a way to beat the goalie. Its one shot that can change the game.