The Montreal Canadiens returned home for Game 3 of their First Round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and it was everything you could have imagined. The Bell Centre was electric as always, and the Canadiens rallied behind a big game from Kirby Dach to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime. Lane Hutson scored the eventual game-winner just 2:09 into the overtime period. This marked the third straight overtime game between the two teams, in what we knew would be a tightly contested series. It’s starting to feel a little like ’93, the year the Canadiens played 11 overtime games en route to their 24th Stanley Cup.
Kirby Dach’s Bounce Back Game Helps Canadiens Take 2-1 Lead
It was an emotional game for Kirby Dach. Dach had been heavily criticized for his play, specifically in Game 2, after an icing and a soft play at the blue line that the Lightning took advantage of and secured the win in overtime. However, Dach bounced back in this one. He was met with 21,000 plus fans cheering as loud as they could when he appeared on the videotron, and even had the Habs fans chanting his name after his tying goal. Dach assisted on the first goal scored by Texier and was on the ice for Hutson’s overtime winner as well. It was a much-needed bounce-back game for him.
What we should take away from this is that not only did Dach bounce back due to the support of the fans. But also, the support of his coach. Martin St. Louis could have taken the easy road and inserted Brendan Gallagher into the lineup for Game 3, and no one would have batted an eye. Instead, he instilled confidence in his young centreman, and it paid dividends, as Dach went on to have his best game of the series.
Top Line for Canadiens Gone Quiet After Massive Game 1
After a massive Game 1, the Canadiens’ top line has been rather quiet. Juraj Slafkovsky has dominated Tampa Bay all year, and it looked like he was going to do much of the same after scoring a hat trick in Game 1 in what could be looked at as his best game of the season. Since then, he has gone pointless. For their part, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki have just one assist each in the next two games. The good news for the Habs is that despite this, they have a 2-1 series lead. Thanks to depth players like Josh Anderson and Kirby Dach.
You’re not going to keep the top line quiet forever, and Caufield has yet to score in this series after finding twine 51 times during the regular season. It’s only a matter of time before Caufield starts lighting the lamp again, which would spell bad news for the Lightning and their fans.
Josh Anderson Proving His Worth for the Canadiens
For his part, Anderson has been spectacular for the Canadiens through three games. He has two goals in three games and has essentially become the new Gallagher as the heartbeat for the Canadiens. His work ethic is second to none. He’s playing in the tough areas and driving the physical play for the Canadiens. It’s what we should always expect from Anderson, especially after he battled Tom Wilson and the Capitals in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Anderson just always seems to find an extra gear come playoff time, and he’s been extremely important for the Canadiens to start the series. They will need him to keep up this physical play, to help wear down the Lightning and help secure the win.
David Out-Duelling Goliath
So far this series, the rookie netminder Jakub Dobes has looked better than Andrei Vasilevskiy. However, neither are playing at the top of their game. Dobes is currently sitting with a goals against average of 2.45 and a save percentage of .892, while Vasilevskiy has a goals against average of 2.76 and a save percentage of .880. The sub 90% save percentage for both goaltenders is obviously just due to the fact that both goaltenders are facing two of the top offences in the NHL, and it’s the timely saves that need to be looked at for these two netminders in this series. However, midway through the series. Dobes (David) has been out-duelling Vasilevskiy (Goliath).
What to Expect for the Rest of the Series
For the remainder of the series, expect much of the same. This series has lived up to the hype. It’s brought all the intensity you’d expect from a playoff series and then some. It’s already becoming an instant classic with three overtime games, hits, fights, gamesmanship, and just flat-out skill from two of the top teams in the league. We’re getting scoring right through the lineup from Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel for the Lightning, to Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach for the Canadiens.
Game 4 will be at the Bell Centre on Sunday night, and the Canadiens will be looking to keep the momentum going after a massive overtime win. However, every game is one shot from going the other way, and the Lightning are certainly not out of this yet.
The Canadiens may be the youngest team in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they’re playing like a team that’s been in this position multiple times before. This group is a tight-knit group, playing well above their years. That’s scary for the opposition. Expect the Canadiens to come out flying once again in Game 4, and if they continue the solid play that’s given them the lead thus far, they should be marching on to the second round. The energy, the overtime games, the Canadiens wins, it really is feeling a little like ’93.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
