Canadiens' Carey Price Has Surgery on Knee Injury, Will Be Ready for '21-22 Season
Jul 23, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (31) skates off the ice following Game Five of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 7, 2021 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens announced Friday that star goaltender Carey Price underwent knee surgery.
He's expected to be out for 10 to 12 weeks and should be back to full health when the team opens the 2021-22 NHL season on Oct. 13 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
News of the procedure doesn't come as a surprise. TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported July 18 that Price was going to solicit medical guidance for an unspecified knee injury.
General manager Marc Bergevin also downplayed the severity of the situation.
"Nothing alarming as we speak," he told reporters Thursday. "As you know, Carey played every minute of the playoffs and he performed very well. ... He's seeing the doctor the end of this week. We're not expecting anything major."
Ahead of the expansion draft, LeBrun reported Price waived his no-movement clause, thus becoming eligible for the Seattle Kraken. Seattle passed on the 33-year-old and instead agreed to a three-year, $10.5 million deal with Chris Driedger.
The knee injury and impending surgery may have been considerations for the Kraken, as was Price's contract. He earns $10.5 million annually for the next five seasons.
That the 2015 Vezina Trophy winner is expected to be ready for opening night is obviously good news for the Canadiens. He's coming off a 2020-21 campaign in which he finished with a .901 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average.
Canadiens' Carey Price Reportedly Not Picked by Kraken in NHL Expansion Draft
Jul 21, 2021
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 07: Goaltender Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens looks on during the third period of Game Five of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on July 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Florence Labelle/NHLI via Getty Images)
Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price
reportedly wasn't selected by the Seattle Kraken as part of the 2021
NHL expansion draft.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported
the Habs will retain Price, who's under contract through the 2025-26
season as part of an eight-year, $84 million deal. Frank Seravalli of
Daily Faceoff Hockey reported Montreal is "likely to lose" defenseman Cale Fleury instead.
The Kraken's selections will be
announced Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
Price's $10.5 million cap hit for the
next five seasons was likely a crucial factor in Seattle's decision.
Financial flexibility is perhaps the most valuable commodity an expansion
franchise has, and committing that much of the $81.5 million salary
cap to a 33-year-old netminder would have come with risk.
The 2005 first-round pick was terrific
during Montreal's underdog run to this year's Stanley Cup Final,
where it lost to the reigning champion Tampa Bay Lightning. He posted
a 2.28 goals against average and .924 save percentage across 22
playoff games.
His regular-season performance over the
past two years hasn't lived up to that standard or the one he set in 2014-15 en
route to winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.
Price has compiled a 2.74 GAA and .907
SV% across 83 regular-season appearances since the start of the
2019-20 campaign. His goals saved above average (GSAA) over that span is
minus-4.9, per Hockey Reference.
Those numbers combined with the high
number of potentially valuable goalies available led the Kraken in a
different direction.
Seattle has agreed to a three-year,
$10.5 million contract with goalie Chris Driedger, an impending
unrestricted free agent who will count toward the team's pick from
the Florida Panthers, per Tim Booth and Stephen Whyno of the
Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Kraken are likely to
select a more cost-effective option from Montreal in Fleury, a
restricted free agent who carried a $771,666 cap hit in 2020-21.
Fleury, 22, tallied just one goal in 41
games during his rookie season with the Habs, but he projects as a
reliable defensive blueliner in the coming years.
It's possible his 25-year-old brother,
Haydn Fleury, will also end up with Seattle after being left exposed
for the expansion draft by the Anaheim Ducks.
Canadiens' Carey Price Reportedly Waives No-Move Clause Ahead of NHL Expansion Draft
Jul 18, 2021
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (31) plays the puck during the first period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has reportedly waived his no-move clause in advance of the NHL expansion draft, which will be held Wednesday to fill the Seattle Kraken roster.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN, who broke the news, explained why Price did so.
"Hearing that Carey Price has waived his no-move for purpose of exposure in the expansion draft so that the Habs could protect Jake Allen in the expansion draft," LeBrun wrote.
"The thought is that Seattle wouldn't want to pick up the rest of Price's hefty contract. But I guess we will see."
Chris Johnston of Hockey Night in Canada also provided some thoughts:
Of note on the Carey Price situation: He's owed an $11M signing bonus in September -- a big upfront payout if #seakraken claim him.
Price also only waived his NMC for expansion purposes. So he can't be claimed and flipped in a subsequent trade without his consent.
NHL teams are allowed to protect either seven forwards, three defenseman and one goalie or eight skaters (forwards or defensemen) and one goalie, per NHL.com. In turn, Seattle must pick at least 20 players from the unprotected player pool.
With teams only allowed to protect one goaltender, it appears that Montreal will protect 30-year-old backup goalie Jake Allen in an attempt to keep both of its netminders.
Price's contract could certainly be a deterrent for Seattle. In addition to the aforementioned $11 million signing bonus, Price has five seasons left on an eight-year, $84 million contract.
Price, who turns 34 years old in August, just helped the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993. He starred in the playoffs with a 2.28 GAA and .924 save percentage.
Report: Shea Weber Won't Be Protected by Canadiens in Expansion Draft Due to Injuries
Jul 15, 2021
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber (6) skates on the ice during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The Montreal Canadiens reportedly will not protect defenseman Shea Weber, who turns 36 in August, in the expansion draft due to injuries that may cost him the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign and more, per Renaud Lavoie of NHL Network.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, "Weber, the Canadiens, the NHL and the NHLPA are doing their due diligence on the captain's medical situation and future."
Friedman noted left foot and ankle injuries could cost Weber the rest of his career, but he also underwent knee surgery in July 2018 and played the most recent postseason with a thumb injury. The league is attempting to decide whether he will go on long-term injured reserve if he cannot play again.
His contract, which has five years at a $7.9 million annual value, is a key sticking point.
"That deal, signed via offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, was heavily front-loaded," Friedmann wrote. "There is $12M of actual cash remaining. Nashville, which matched and was where Weber played the next four years, would have a 'cap recapture' penalty of slightly more than $4.9M per season through 2025-26 if the defenceman retires."
Weber is a seven-time All-Star with two gold medals for Team Canada on his resume.
He has been in the NHL since the 2005-06 campaign and played his first 11 seasons on the Nashville Predators and the last five for the Montreal Canadiens. He helped lead Montreal to the Stanley Cup Final this past season, where it lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Weber is known for his physical style of play, but he has also gotten involved on the offensive end throughout his career.
He has nine seasons with 40 or more points, although he had just six goals and 13 assists in 48 games during the 2020-21 campaign.
While his future is in question, Weber is someone who could provide veteran leadership for the Seattle Kraken if Montreal doesn't protect him in the expansion draft.
Dominique Ducharme, Canadiens Agree to 3-year Contract to Be HC After Interim Role
Jul 13, 2021
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 02: Head coach Dominique Ducharme of the Montreal Canadiens reacts against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period in Game Three of the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Bell Centre on July 02, 2021 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have removed the interim tag from coach Dominique Ducharme by agreeing to a three-year extension to make him the permanent replacement for Claude Julien.
"Dominique has managed to set his system in place and establish himself as a head coach in a very unusual season with challenging circumstances," general manager Marc Bergevin said in Tuesday's announcement.
"While our team has gone through its fair share of adversity, he has shown a lot of control over the situation as well as showing calm and great leadership. These are important qualities that we look for in a head coach and he fully deserves the chance to lead our team and take it to the next level."
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Ducharme's deal will average $1.7 million annually.
A long-term contract felt inevitable given how the Canadiens performed in the postseason under his watch.
They went 15-16-7 with him in the regular season, which was good enough to finish fourth in the North Division and qualify for the playoffs. Montreal then made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
Some, however, will question whether the franchise's postseason outcome obscured what came before it.
Hard to argue with this. Montreal started the season with a 9-9 record, 57% xG Share and a +11 goal difference. Once Ducharme took over, he turned them around and led them to a 28-32 record, 50% xG Share and a -21 goal difference. Worthy of a long-term commitment. https://t.co/NfrrYAs1gA
Bergevin may have pointed to one of the bigger reasons behind this decision when he highlighted Ducharme's "calm and leadership."
By the numbers, the Canadiens weren't a vastly different team with the 48-year-old at the helm compared to Julien.
But Bergevin and the front office will have seen his day-to-day interactions with the players. Beyond the challenges of a typical season, Montreal saw four games postponed in March due to the NHL's COVID-19 protocols.
Ducharme seems to have been a steady hand on the bench, and now he'll have a chance to prove his skeptics wrong in 2021-22.
Canadiens' Jeff Petry: Popped Blood Vessels in Eyes from Passing out After Injury
Jul 9, 2021
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry (26) controls a puck during the second period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry provided more context behind his bloodshot eyes that created quite the visual during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Petry told reporters Friday that he had medical personnel reset his pinky finger after it was caught in the glass. During that process, he "basically passed out and popped all the blood vessels in my eyes."
The 33-year-old missed Montreal's Game 4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in the second round and the team's 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights to open the Stanley Cup semifinals.
When he returned to the ice, fans were immediately drawn to his significantly bloodshot eyes.
He has suffered a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is when blood vessels in the eye burst. The injury often looks far worse than its practical effects are.
Based on Petry's comments, the worst appears to have transpired before his eye injury occurred. The pain from resetting his pinky must have been significant for him to react in such a visceral manner.
Doctors told him the pinky would require surgery, a step that would've ruled him out for the remainder of the playoffs. He opted instead to tape the pinky to his ring finger to continue suiting up for the Canadiens.
Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher's Home Was Robbed While in Tampa for Stanley Cup Final
Jul 9, 2021
Montreal Canadiens player Brendan Gallagher during an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Calgary, Canada. (AP Photo/Larry MacDougal)
Even though appearing in the Stanley Cup Final is normally a joyous time for an NHL player, Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher had a very difficult stretch in Florida.
In addition to his Canadiens losing the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning after a 1-0 loss in Game 5 on Wednesday night, Gallagher revealed on TikTok that his home was robbed while he was away:
The Canadiens traveled to Tampa following their 3-2 overtime win in Game 4 on Monday. David Lazar of the New York Post noted that Montreal traveled to Florida for Game 5 at some point on Tuesday.
It's unclear when the robbery occurred or what was taken.
This season marked the Canadiens' first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1993. They advanced past the first round of the playoffs since the 2014-15 season.
Gallagher appeared in 57 games for the Habs between the regular season and playoffs. The alternate captain finished fourth on the team with 14 goals during the regular season.
In 22 playoff games, the right wing had six points on two goals and four assists. The 29-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career with the Canadiens. The Edmonton native was a fifth-round pick by the organization in the 2010 draft.
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Rips Canadiens Fans: 'Their Final Was Last Series'
Jul 8, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning hoists the Stanley Cup overhead after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita
Kucherov took aim at Montreal Canadiens supporters during a Bud
Light-fueled press conference following the Bolts' Game 5 win
Wednesday night to clinch their second straight Stanley Cup
championship.
"The fans in Montreal acted like
they won the Stanley Cup last game," Kucherov said about the celebration after the Habs' Game 4 win. "Are you
kidding me? Are you kidding me? Their final was last series"
"The fans in Montreal acted like they won the Stanley Cup last game. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Their final was last round."
Kucherov was nothing short of
spectacular throughout the Lightning's title run. He tallied 32
points (eight goals and 24 assists) in 23 playoff games, including 19
power-play points as the team converted 32.4 percent of its
opportunities on the man advantage.
His availability for the postseason was
a point of contention all year, though.
The 28-year-old Russian winger
underwent hip surgery in December after Tampa's Stanley Cup triumph
last season, which allowed the franchise to place him on long-term
injured reserve and avoid his $9.5 million cap hit to remain under
the salary cap for the 2020-21 campaign.
Cap rules don't apply for the playoffs,
however, so the Lightning were able to activate him before the
opening round without any violations or being forced to bench any key
players to create cap space.
In June, Tampa Bay general manager
Julien BriseBois said the NHL reviewed the situation and cleared the
Bolts of any wrongdoing.
"I know [the NHL] investigated the
Nikita Kucherov one, and we have to be able to justify the surgery,
the rehab time, the return to play clearance to make sure that
everything was done according to the rules and according to the
circumstances, and those were the cards we were dealt," BriseBois
told reporters.
The Lightning face a similar problem
heading into the offseason—they're already a projected
$3.5 million over the 2021-22 salary cap with only 17 of the
necessary 20 players, per CapFriendly—so how they navigate the
situation will be watched closely over the summer once again.
Meanwhile, it's hard to blame Canadiens
fans for their hearty celebration after Game 4. They made a highly
unexpected run to the NHL's championship series and beat the
star-studded reigning champions in overtime on home ice. That's
reason enough to go wild despite the fact they were still staring down a 3-1 series
deficit at the time.
Kucherov's comments will surely stick
in the minds of the Habs and their supporters heading into next
season and beyond, though. He'll be public enemy No. 1 every time he enters the
Bell Centre from this point forward.
Lightning Win 2nd Straight Stanley Cup Title With Game 5 Win vs. Canadiens
Jul 8, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ross Colton (79) scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (31) during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are back-to-back Stanley Cup Final champions after beating the visiting Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 on Wednesday at Amalie Arena.
Lightning center Ross Colton's goal at 13:27 of the second period was all Tampa Bay needed to secure the 4-1 series win in the best-of-seven matchup. David Savard and Ryan McDonagh contributed the assists.
— x - Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 8, 2021
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves en route to his fifth shutout this postseason. He made a pair of saves in the final minute as the Canadiens pressed Tampa Bay's end with an extra attacker after pulling goaltender Carey Price.
The Lightning became just the second team this century to win back-to-back Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins also did so in 2016 and 2017.
Notable Performances
Lightning C Ross Colton: 1 G
Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov: 5 SOG
Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy: 22 SV
Canadiens RW Josh Anderson: 3 SOG
Vasilevskiy Leads the Way in Series-Clinching Win...Again
The Lightning are on top of the hockey world once again, and Vasilevskiy made sure of it with another spotless effort.
Not only did Vasilevskiy earn his fifth 2021 postseason shutout on Wednesday, but he also earned his fifth straight shutout in series-clinching games.
It's a remarkable accomplishment for the well-deserved Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
Andrei Vasilevskiy was a force to be reckoned with through the 2021 #StanleyCup Playoffs and is the winner of the 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy.
He only allowed eight goals during the Stanley Cup Final, and he ended with five of the 12 total shutouts by goaltenders this postseason, per Dimitri Filipovic of The Hockey PDOcast.
Chris Fallica of College Gameday broke down his performances in three notable games:
Andrei Vasilevskiy this postseason
G6 vs CAR - 29 saves in 2-0 road win. Game was 1-0 for 26:50 from 2nd to mid 3rd
G7 vs NYI - made a 1-0 lead stand up for 38:11 in a 1-0 win to reach Cup Final
G5 vs MTL - made a 1-0 lead stand up for 27:33 in a 1-0 game to win Stanley Cup
Mathematician Micah Blake McCurdy also showcased just how good Vasilevskiy was in the playoffs:
Vasilevskiy for the playoffs all up: 35 GA on 53.2 xG, for +18.2 goals saved more than an nhl average goalie over the course of 22 games. pic.twitter.com/SuHFUcW1gL
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 8, 2021
And Kevin Neghandi of ESPN pointed out that the Lightning netminder was 14-0 following losses in the playoffs over the last two years.
Vasilevskiy was not tested too often in Game 5 as he faced just 22 shots, but he made some huge saves along the way, perhaps none more important than this stop on right wing Josh Anderson:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 8, 2021
He also held strong in the end of the game as Montreal maintained pressure in Tampa Bay's end, but nothing came of it as the Canadiens were kept off the board.
Ross Colton Is the Latest Unsung Lightning Hero
The Lightning have received key contributions from their entire lineup this postseason, but seeing the lone goal emerge Sunday from some new unsung heroes was still a bit surprising.
Colton, Savard and McDonagh combined to score 24 regular-season points. For context, eight Lightning players scored more than that amount by themselves.
That trio also had 16 total points in the playoffs before Game 5. Of note, five Lightning players had 17 or more playoff points prior to Wednesday.
And yet those aforementioned three players were the only ones to score any points at all in Game 5.
The Lightning have tremendous star power, with names like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman routinely delivering for the back-to-back champions.
However, the team runs deep, and the Lightning's excellent depth has proven to be their opponents' downfall at times. Pete Blackburn of Bally Sports noted that the Lightning's top players weren't hitting the goalsheet of late, but it didn't particularly matter.
Last five goal-scorers of the Lightning's Stanley Cup run...
Colton, a rookie who tied the Canadiens' Cole Caufield for the most goals by a first-year player in this season's playoffs (four), was one of only two players on the roster without a Cup before Wednesday. Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, that duo consists of Colton and Savard.
Colton also made some notable history along the way:
Hockey writer Chris Peters noted that Colton didn't exactly have a easy and direct route to the pros either:
Ross Colton, the latest of Tampa Bay's "yeah, we found this guy," drafted in his last year of draft eligibility out of Cedar Rapids in the USHL. Played two years at Vermont, got into Tampa's pro player factory in Syracuse and rounded out just in time to score Stanley Cup clincher
But the Lightning's strength is in their tremendous depth up and down the roster. Players like Colton have made the difference in this postseason, and now Tampa Bay is celebrating its second straight Stanley Cup.
Josh Anderson’s OT Goal Lifts Canadiens Past Lightning in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
Jul 6, 2021
Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (17) skates on the ice during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The Montreal Canadiens stayed alive in their Stanley Cup Final series against the Tampa Bay Lightning by defeating the visitors 3-2 in overtime on Monday in Bell Centre.
Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson scored two goals, including the game-winner at 3:57 of overtime. Montreal completed a four-minute penalty kill following a Shea Weber high-sticking penalty just 58 seconds earlier.
Tampa Bay outshot Montreal 34-21 and hit three goalposts on the night, including one from Nikita Kucherov with 2:27 remaining in the third and the score tied at two.
Tampa Bay, which defeated the Dallas Stars in last year's Stanley Cup, leads Montreal three games to one in the best-of-seven matchup following its Game 4 loss.
Notable Performances
Canadiens RW Josh Anderson: 2 G, 3 SOG
Canadiens D Alexander Romanov: 1 G
Canadiens RW Cole Caufield: 2 A
Canadiens G Carey Price: 32 SV
Lightning RW Barclay Goodrow: 1 G, 2 SOG
Lightning LW Pat Maroon: 1 G, 3 SOG
Canadiens Claw Their Way to Game 4 Win
Only four teams have overcome 3-0 series deficits in NHL playoff history, and just one (the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs) has done so in the Stanley Cup Final.
It'll be a tall order for Montreal to do that even after winning Game 4, but the Canadiens' tremendous grit and perseverance—combined with Carey Price's brick-wall goaltending— kept the season alive Monday.
Anderson and Price were the heroes for the Habs as they continued their pursuit of the team's first Stanley Cup since 1993.
Anderson was in the right place at the right time to open the scoring thanks to some work from Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield:
Lightning right wing Barclay Goodrow tied the game at one in the second period, but rookie defenseman Alexander Romanov responded in the third with his first postseason tally.
StatsCentre noted that Romanov made history along the way, despite playing in just his third career playoff game:
Playing just his 3rd game of these playoffs, Alexander Romanov's 2-1 tally tonight has joined him with Serge Savard (2 in 1968) & Guy Lapointe (1971) as the only @CanadiensMTL rookie defencemen to score a SC Final goal. At 21 years & 180 days old, he's also the youngest to do so pic.twitter.com/ZaauC0w07J
The Lightning had a golden opportunity to go home as back-to-back Stanley Cup winners when Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber was called for high-sticking on Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat.
Tampa Bay had four shots on goal in the overtime period with a man advantage, but Price saved all of them to preserve the tie.
It was a phenomenal effort from Price, who kept his team in the game all night despite a flurry of Lightning shots.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN credited the Canadiens for their effort with their backs against the wall:
The four-minute PK followed by a Josh Anderson OT goal. What a sequence. No way they wanted the season to end with their captain in the box. The Habs give their fans a Stanley Cup final moment. The Canadiens able to dip into their 2021 playoff magic at least one more time.
With that, the Canadiens stayed alive. They may have faced a dire situation, but don't tell that to Anderson, who expected Montreal to come through and force a Game 5:
"We expected to go to Tampa tomorrow. We packed our bags this afternoon. We just had that feeling that we were going to win tonight."
It'll be a long road to Game 7, but all that matters now is the Canadiens survived, advanced and moved onto Tampa.
Unlucky Lightning Fall Despite Solid Effort
The Lightning had 13 more shots than the Canadiens and hit three goalposts on a night where they were the better team than Montreal everywhere but the scoreboard.
Significant credit goes to the Canadiens for their resolve down 3-0 in the series, most specifically on the penalty kill and the game-winning goal.
But Tampa Bay left numerous opportunities at the doorstep.
For starters, the Lightning went 0-of-5 on the power play. They played 10 minutes with the extra man thanks to four minor penalties and a double minor, but were unable to pull through.
It was a surprising result for a Tampa Bay team that had converted on 33.8 percent of its power-play chances this postseason.
No chance was greater than the Weber double minor, which gave Tampa Bay 2:59 with an extra man at the start of overtime. Nothing ever came of it, though.
Ultimately, the killer was the Lightning's third goalpost of the night, which happened just prior to the Weber penalty. Kucherov put himself in excellent position for the game-winner, but his shot clanked off the post and harmlessly fluttered away.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper talked about that one postgame, per Bryan Burns of the team's official website.
Jon Cooper said he doesn't react much on the bench but had a jump in his step on Kucherov's back-post shot late in regulation. Said #Bolts had chances, they just didn't go in. "You can't pick your adversity, you hit a little bit of it and you have to fight your way through it."
As Cooper noted, the Lightning did have their chances, and they converted on two of them. Goodrow's goal came at 17:20 of the second period off a turnover in the Canadiens' own zone:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 6, 2021
In the third, Pat Maroon came through in the clutch after Tyler Johnson skated into the Habs' end and sliced a pass to the forward, who took care of the rest at 13:48 of the third period:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 6, 2021
Momentum was squarely on the Lightning's side for the remainder of regulation and into overtime, but that game-winning goal did not arrive.
Ultimately, the Lightning are still up 3-1 in this series and head back home to Amalie Arena for Game 5. They've been tremendous for much of the Cup, even if this game didn't go their way.
What's Next?
Tampa Bay will host Montreal for Game 5 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
