Canadiens' Dominique Ducharme Reportedly Isolating for 14 Days After Positive Test
Jun 19, 2021
Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme, center, during an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Calgary, Canada. (AP Photo/Larry MacDougal)
Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme must isolate for 14 days after testing positive for COVID-19, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
He will not be eligible to rejoin his team, which currently leads the Vegas Golden Knights two games to one in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, until after the isolation period ends.
Ducharme was sent home after COVID-19 testing Friday returned a positive result. He had received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine June 9.
The NHL confirmed the results via an official statement:
Luke Richardson served as the Canadiens' interim head coach in lieu of Ducharme on Friday. The Canadiens defeated the Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Ducharme's isolation period will force him to miss the remainder of the semifinal series. Game 7 (if necessary) will take place Saturday, June 26, which is eight days after Ducharme was initially sent home.
The dates and times for the Stanley Cup Final are to be determined, but if Montreal reaches that round, Ducharme would likely be forced to miss the beginning of the series at a minimum.
Ducharme, 48, took over midseason after former head coach Claude Julien was fired. This is his first head coaching stint in the NHL, but he has seven years of experience as a head coach in junior hockey (QMJHL).
Montreal is currently in the middle of a fantastic playoff run after finishing just 24-21-11 in the regular season.
The Canadiens, who had the worst regular-season record of any playoff participant, beat the Toronto Maple Leafs four games to three before sweeping the Winnipeg Jets to advance to the Stanley Cup Semifinals.
Montreal is now two wins away from its first Stanley Cup appearance since 1993.
Josh Anderson's OT Winner Lifts Canadiens to 2-1 Series Lead over Golden Knights
Jun 19, 2021
Montreal Canadiens right winger Josh Anderson (17) during an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Toronto, Canada. (AP Photo/Peter Power)
The Montreal Canadiens went up 2-1 in the Stanley Cup semifinals following a 3-2 overtime victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 on Friday at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Josh Anderson hammered home the winner with a little more than seven minutes remaining in overtime.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 19, 2021
Only hours before the game was scheduled to start, the Canadiens learned they would be without head coach Dominique Ducharme. The NHL announced he was isolating after testing positive for COVID-19.
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin confirmed Ducharme would be out of contact with his staff as Game 3 unfolded. The impact of Ducharme's absence seemed to be minimal based on how his team played.
Nicolas Roy gave Vegas a 1-0 lead with 3:16 off the clock in the second period. Fewer than 40 seconds later, Cole Caufield leveled the score for the Canadiens.
After Alex Pietrangelo's goal at the 2:22 mark of the third period, the Golden Knights were within two minutes of victory at the end of regulation before Marc-Andre Fleury gifted a goal to Anderson.
Notable Performers
Josh Anderson, RW, Canadiens: two goals, four shots, five hits
Carey Price, G, Canadiens: 43 saves, .956 save percentage
Alex Pietrangelo, D, Golden Knights: one goal, two shots, four blocked shots, one takeaway
Fleury Offers Canadiens Late Lifeline
Empty-netters aside, Anderson may never score an easier goal in his NHL career. Fleury went to collect the puck along the boards and hit it off his own skate. The Golden Knights goaltender lost track of the play until he saw Anderson move into frame and pounce on the mistake.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 19, 2021
The 20-year-old has now gone five straight games with a point. No matter the outcome of these playoffs for the Habs, the franchise has discovered just how bright a talent it has with the young American.
In general, the Canadiens were fortunate Friday night, but every single Stanley Cup champion caught some good luck on the way to a title. Perhaps that moment helped turn the series for Montreal.
Pietrangelo's Hot Streak Continues
Riding the hot hand is always smart in the playoffs, and no Golden Knights player is hotter than Pietrangelo. He scored both of Vegas' goals in the team's Game 2 defeat and got one in a 6-3 victory to clinch its series against the Colorado Avalanche.
The net must have looked five times bigger when he lined up this wrist shot on Carey Price.
But this is why Pietrangelo is one of the highest-paid defensemen in the league. Although his goal haul is a little higher than expected, this is when he's supposed to deliver.
Putting the @GoldenKnights up 2-1 early in the 3rd tonight, Alex Pietrangelo joins Earl Seibert (1938 QF with CHI), Doug Jarrett (1968 QF with CHI) and Paul Coffey (1981 PRE with EDM) as the only defencemen to get 3+ goals in the first 3 games of a playoff series vs the Canadiens pic.twitter.com/PS6NZaeHBf
As much as Fleury's mistake hurts in the short term, it will be quickly forgotten if the Golden Knights respond strongly in their next game.
And that gaffe shouldn't overshadow much much trouble Vegas had getting past Price. Two goals on 45 shots is far more of a concern, especially given where those goals came from. The stars on the top lines need to start producing.
What's Next?
The series will stay in Montreal for Game 4 on Sunday. The puck is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. ET.
Canadiens Coach Dominique Ducharme Isolating After Positive COVID-19 Test
Jun 18, 2021
WINNIPEG, MB - JUNE 4: Head Coach Dominique Ducharme of the Montreal Canadiens keeps an eye on the play during first period action against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on June 4, 2021 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme is isolating from the team after testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday.
All other COVID-19 testing done with players, coaches and hockey staff on Thursday and Friday returned negative.
The Canadiens are scheduled to play Game 3 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights in Montreal on Friday night.
The teams are tied 1-1 in the series.
Ducharme, who was promoted to his current role in February after Claude Julien was fired, will undergo more tests before the game. Everything could still work out for him before puck dropâjust ask the guys on the other side of the ice.
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was pulled from morning skate before Game 6 of the series against the Golden Knights because of a COVID-19 testing irregularity but was cleared to coach in the game.
The 48-year-old Ducharme, who led the Canadiens to fourth place in the North Division and engineered upsets over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets this postseason, is not considered fully vaccinated against the virus as he is not two weeks from the date of his second vaccine.
He received his second dose on June 9, according to the Associated Press.
Canadiens Even Series vs. Golden Knights with 3-2 Win in Game 2
Jun 17, 2021
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens blocks a shot by William Carrier #28 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period in Game One of the Stanley Cup Semifinals during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Canadiens 4-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
For the first time all year, the Montreal Canadiens picked up a win in front of a capacity crowdâit just wasn't an audience made up primarily of Habs fans.
Wednesday night's 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the Vegas Golden Knights evened the series a 1-1 as the teams head to Montreal, where they'll face a much different environment.
Due to the pandemic, Canadian franchises played against only each other until this point in the year, and with minimal spectators at that. The Stanley Cup Semifinals pitted the North Division winners against the West-winning Knights, sending the Habs to Vegas where the club had an opportunity to play in front of a capacity crowd for the first since early 2020.
After snapping a five-game winning streak on Wednesday, the Knights will play in Montreal for the first time this year where the Habs are 3-2 this postseason.
The Canadiens got used to playing at T-Mobile Arena real quick, it seems. After finding the back of the net just once in a 4-1 Game 1 loss, the Habs jumped all over the Knights in the first period, taking advantage of some stunning mismatches despite Vegas being afford last change.
But it wasnât just the two-goal lead the Canadiens took into the second period that was impressive on Wednesday so much as they way they were able to protect it. With a raucous crowd egging them on, the Knights stepped up their offensive pressure in the middle frame, out-shooting the Habs 10-4 and forcing the visitors to ward off the attack.
The Habsâled by goalie Carey Priceâproved more than up to the task.
In fact it was a nearly five-minute stretch early in the second period that showed just how dialed in Price was in the victory.
Beginning with 17 minutes remaining in the period, Price fought off a 2-on-0 attempt led by Max Pacioretty, with the former Canadiens captain drawing iron on despite getting the netminder to lose his net. But Price showed an ability to quickly recover as the Knights corralled the rebound, reentered the offensive zone and watched helpless as Mark Stoneâs clear look was easily turned aside.
Barely two minutes later, with the Habs still chasing on defense, it was Price again coming up with a massive point blank save on defenseman Alec Martinez, whoâd crept towards the crease for a back-door look only for his shot to deflect off Priceâs chest.
Martinez had his hands halfway in the air to celebrate a goal before he realized he missed the opportunity to put the puck in the net. It took the Vegas crowd an extra second or two before they realized it as well.
Montreal killed off the Knightsâ momentum even further with 14 minutes remaining as forward Joel Armia went to the box for tripping. Vegas could hardly get set-up in the offensive zone on the ensuing power play, let alone sustain any pressure on net.
All that work by Vegas felt even more useless as Paul Bryon put the Habs up 3-0 with 2:15 left in the frame. Alex Pietrangelo would get the goal back a minute later as the Knights finally broke through, but the damage wouldâve been plenty worse had Montreal been unable to weather the first 18 minutes of the second period in Game 2.
The Golden Knights had a road record of 19-9-0 this season, but theyâre about to embark on a road trip like none theyâve experienced in 2020-21.
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals will see Vegas become the first American team to cross the Canadian border this season, and it could make for a jarring adventure.
Whereas T-Mobile Arena seat 17,500 fans for Knights games, the famed Bell Centre in Montreal is only allowing in 3,500 spectators for Game 3âa 1,000-capacity jump from the last Habs game when only 2,500 fans were permitted inside.
The health and safety protocols in Canada mean the two clubs will go from playing in one of the league's loudest buildings to one of its quietest.
Just how that'll impact the Knights remains to be seen.
Alex Pietrangelo recorded his 60th career playoff point (10-50â60 in 107 GP). Since he made his playoff debut in 2012, Pietrangelo is one of just four defensemen to reach the mark (also Victor Hedman, John Carlson & Kris Letang). #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/iXseI02bF0https://t.co/6eUowKZlFg
What's for certain is that having no fans inside the league bubble last year played a role in Vegas' conference finals elimination. During a recent playoff victory over the Colorado Avalanche last round, Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon wondered aloud whether his team would've hung on without their fans.
âI said after that game just to our own people that thatâs maybe a game we donât win in the bubble last year in Edmonton," McCrimmon said. "Because you donât have that extra boost that the fans give you."
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 17, 2021
Whatever boost there is in Montreal for Games 3 and 4 will be minimal at best, not to mention one-sided.
No team will have a tougher test this postseason than what awaits the Knights in Montreal. Dropping Game 2 on home ice only raises the stakes.
What's Next?
Game 3 heads north of the border with a Canadian team hosting a club from the United States for the first time all year. Faceoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET on USA Network live from Bell Centre on Friday, June 18.
Canadiens' Jeff Petry Plays Game 5 vs. Golden Knights with Bloodshot Eyes
Jun 17, 2021
Montreal Canadiens player Jeff Petry during an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Calgary, Canada. (AP Photo/Larry MacDougal)
Jeff Petry knows how to make an entrance into a series.
The Montreal Canadiens defenseman took the ice in Wednesday's Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights after he missed the first contest because of a hand injury. It was his first showing since a June 6 win over the Winnipeg Jets in the second round.
Petry appeared in 55 games for Montreal this season and posted 42 points on 12 goals and 30 assists. He also finished with a plus-minus total of plus-six.
As for the eyes, Kyle Bukauskas of Sportsnet reported Petry has bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhage. While that leads to the red eyes with burst blood vessels, there is apparently no pain or vision issues.
Canadiens Complete Sweep of Jets in OT, Advance to 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals
Jun 8, 2021
MONTREAL, QC - June 7: Artturi Lehkonen #62 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on June 7, 2021 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens completed their sweep of the Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Tyler Toffoli powered the Habs to a 3-2 overtime victory on Monday at Bell Centre in Montreal. Cole Caufield fed Toffoli for the decisive goal with 1:39 off the clock in the extra period.
Montreal's inability to build on that wasn't through a lack of trying.
Given the stakes for Winnipeg, the Jets weren't going to go down lightly. They mucked things up quite a bit in the final two periods.
The Canadiens remained in the driver's set for much of the game, though. It has been quite the turnaround from Dominique Ducharme's squad from how it opened the playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Jets Unable to Climb out of Early Hole (Again)
The Jets trailed 3-1 after the first period in Game 1, and they found themselves down 3-0 midway through the second period of Game 3. The same story played out Monday, only with a slightly different outcome.
Logan Stanley scored his first two goals of the postseason to bring the Jets level with Montreal in the second period. In both cases, Stanley took his time to line up a shot to beat Price.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 8, 2021
The disparity in shot totals between the two teams was a warning sign for the Jets despite their comeback. Montreal had 25 shots on Hellebuyck, more than double Winnipeg's 11.
The Jets' new strategy is to get 3 shots per period.
— Berkshire.bsky.social (@AndrewBerkshire) June 8, 2021
The Canadiens proceeded to barrage Hellebuyck in the third period, and the Jets were doing little to slow down the rush. The Winnipeg netminder was the hardest working man on the ice Monday night.
Connor Hellebuyck doing his part, Logan Stanley with the goals, and Winnipeg can extend its season by winning a single period of play.
That kind of gulf in shots didn't leave Winnipeg with much margin for error, and the resistance finally broke down in overtime.
What's Next?
The Canadiens are the first team to qualify for the Stanley Cup semifinals. Because the NHL will re-seed the four teams still alive in the next round, Montreal has to wait and to see who it will play.
Canadiens Cruise Past Jets in Game 3 to Take Commanding 3-0 Series Lead
Jun 7, 2021
WINNIPEG, MB - JUNE 4: Joel Edmundson #44 of the Montreal Canadiens battles Pierre-Luc Dubois #13 of the Winnipeg Jets in front of goaltender Carey Price #31 as they keep an eye on the play during third period action in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on June 4, 2021 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens returned to a packed Bell Centre for Game 3 against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday and promptly delivered a 5-1 victory behind another stellar effort from goalie Carey Price (24 saves).
It's the sixth straight victory for the Habs this postseason and gives the club a 3-0 lead in their second-round series.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 6, 2021
The club is now one win away from becoming the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals since the Jets fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018. No team north of the border has won the Cup since the 1993 Canadiens.
The loss puts Winnipeg in a dreaded position. Only four teams in NHL history have come back to win a series after going down 3-0, with the Los Angeles Kings last accomplishing the feat in 2014.
If Joel Armia's second period goal looked a bit familiar on Sunday, there's good reason for it.
The tally that put Montreal up 3-0 was nearly identical to the goal Tyler Toffoli scored in Game 2 in Winnipeg. Both goals came short-handed. Both the result of a 2-on-1 rush. Both came at the expense of Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey.
Sunday's goal proved even more of a dagger, with Montreal already up 2-0 and a raucous home crowd egging on the Habs.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the second period, Armia picked off a blind Winnipeg pass near the left faceoff dot in the Canadiens' zone and took off down the ice with Paul Byron. Only Morrissey stood in the way of the two wingers and Jets' goalie Hellebuyck. For the second time in as many games, the defenseman sprawled out on the ice to take away Armia's passing lane, only for the winger to toe-drag around him and bury a wrist shot in the back of the net.
After tying the Boston Bruins for the regular season lead with nine short-handed goals, the Canadiens now have three shorties in the postseason. Equally concerning for the Jets is the fact they've now failed to convert on seven power play opportunities against Montreal.
Montreal has reached the point where giving up the man-advantage doesn't seem to help the Jets offense at all.
It's been hard to find anything to feel good about when it comes to the Jets during the second round. Barring a significant change in Game 4, that'll mean a rather ruthless sweep at the hands of the Canadiens after Winnipeg swept the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.
Through three games, the Habs have out-scored the Jets 11-4 despite barely being out-shot 90-87. Winnipeg went nearly 100 minutes without a goal in the series, finally breaking through at the end of the second period on Sunday after getting shut out in Game 2.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 6, 2021
Adam Lowry skated in on Price's weak side, took a quick pass from Mathieu Perreault and fired a one-timer past the the otherwise unbeatable Habs goalie. But what was notable about the goal wasn't just that Price's saves streak came to an end, but that the Jets were able to fire off a shot in the slot below the faceoff dots.
Montreal's ability to keep the middle of the ice clear has allowed Price to play at his best and kept the Jets from finding high-percentage looks. Even with Mark Scheifele still suspended for his hit on Jake Evans in Game 1, there's enough blame to go around in the Jets locker room for their inability to generate those chances.
While offense has clearly been the biggest issue for the Jets this series, Paul Maurice may have no choice but to swap Hellebuyck in net for backup Laurent Brossoit. Winnipeg needs to find a spark somehow, and with Hellebuyck giving up four goals on Sunday, he may be the odd man out.
That may have been the case anyways with Game 4 slated for Monday night, but Maurice will have to push whatever buttons he can to extend the series.
What's Next?
The teams will stick around in Montreal for Game 4 on Monday night. Faceoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on NHL Network.
Tyler Toffoli's 2nd-Period Goal Lifts Canadiens to 2-0 Series Lead over Jets
Jun 5, 2021
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (31) plays against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The Montreal Canadians grabbed a 2-0 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets in their second-round series with a 1-0 victory on Friday night at MTS Place.
It was the first time on the ice for both teams since Winnipeg's Mark Schiefele was suspended four-games for charging Canadiens center Jake Evans at the end of Game 1. Evans was taken off the ice on a stretcher and remains out indefinitely.
Already playing without Kaiden Guhle, Jon Merrill, Artturi Lehkonen and Tomas Tatar, the loss of Evans shortened the Habs' bench even further, but the club used a short-handed goal from Tyler Toffoli to grab a second victory on the road before heading back to Montreal for Game 3. Carey Price remained stellar with 30 saves on the night.
Winnipeg may want to consider panicking as far as its power play is concerned.
For the second straight game, the Jets' special teams failed to convert with the man-advantage, instead allowing a short-handed goal to Montreal in the second period serve as the lone tally on the night.
#Habs Danault identifies the 0-3 series deficit after Game 4 vs Toronto as the turning point in their playoffs: "When we had our backs against the wall we looked in the mirror and realized, this could be it."
Toffoli's toe-drag around two defendersâwith a third closing inâis the low point of a Winnipeg power play that finished with the seventh-best conversion rate during the regular season (23 percent). That's not to take anything away from the Habs' penalty kill, which tied for the most short-handed goals in the league at nine with the Boston Bruins, but the Jets can hardly afford whiffing on power play opportunities at this point in the year.
They certainly can't afford to go 0-for-5 on the man-advantage in two home games to open the second-round series and expect to win.
Not having Scheifele available for at least another three gamesâshould the series last that longâdoesn't make things any easier, either. The center is Winnipeg's time-on-ice leader on the power play (181:28 during the regular season) and has a team-high 13 assists on special teams with four goals.
The Jets have to find answer for the loss of Scheifele there and fast if they're going to make a comeback in this seriesâto say nothing of having to figure things out on the road, too.
Considering how rare scoring chances were in Game 2 for both teams, getting the power play active again might be the only chance the Jets have at climbing back into to contention.
Price Is Right for Montreal
It might be time to start wondering if Carey Price has a shot at winning the Conn Smythe trophy this postseason.
Following his latest postseason shutoutâwhich moved him just two back of Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante (10) for most in Montreal historyâPrice lowered his playoff goals against average to 2.08 and raised his save percentage to 93.5. He's also been a master of gobbling up shots and making sure he doesn't allow any rebounds.
Price is already the Canadiens' most important player. He might just be the most valuable in the postseason overall.
No goalie has won the Conn Smythe since Jonathan Quick accomplished the feat in 2012 with the Los Angeles Kings. That year he finished with a 1.41 GAA and 94.6 save percentage. With how the Canadiens have been able to protect the puck and keep their defensemen from losing their positioning in front of Price through two games against the Jets, it's not wild to think the netminder's numbers could keep improvingâespecially as he returns home to the Bell Centre.
Since the #Habs two OT wins over the #Leafs they really have become a team. #HabsIO
Of course, Price will have to carry his team to the Stanley Cup Final in order to truly put together a Conn Smythe campaign. By that point it might not eve matter whether or not the Habs become the first Canadian team since the Montreal team in 1993 to win the Cupâa year Patrick Roy won the playoff MVP in net. Five players on the Cup-losing team have won the Conn Smythe. Four of them were goalies.
Price's legacy in Montreal should be secure either way at this point, but on the verge of a truly epic playoff run, he may just be this postseason's most valuable player.
What's Next
Game 3 shifts to the Bell Centre in Montreal at 6 p.m. ET on June 6 live on NBCSN.
Canadiens Use Big 1st Period to Beat Jets in Game 1 of 2nd Round Series
Jun 3, 2021
TORONTO, ON - MAY 31: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during Game Seven of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 31, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Map[le Leafs 3-1 to win series 4 games to 3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens won't stop.
After winning three games in a row to upend the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, the Canadiens carried that momentum into the second round, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Wednesday at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.
After a three-goal first period, Brendan Gallagher scored the eventual winner for the Canadiens, who also won Game 1 of their first-round series before dropping three in a row.
For the Jets, who hadn't played since sweeping the Edmonton Oilers on May 24, Kyle Connor gave them an extra chance by scoring their third goal with six skaters on the ice, but it wasn't enough as Jake Evans potted a fifth for Montreal on an empty net.
Evans took a scary hit after scoring and was stretchered off the ice with 58 seconds left to play. Mark Scheifele was sent off with a five-and-10 for charging.
The Canadiens got off to a fast start, scoring a pair of goals within 1:40 in the first five minutes of the game. The action came from two separate lines, highlighting the power present throughout the roster.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi got things going at 3:30, continuing his strong postseason play.
On prend l'avance tôt grâce au 4e but des sÊries de Kotkaniemi!
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021
The offensive onslaught kept going, with another puck in the net at 1:44 left in the period, though it was ruled no good due to goalie interference. Still, Montreal broke out with an energy that was just lacking from the opposing side.
Even when the Jets showed resistance, making it a one-goal game with under 11 minutes to play, Brendan Gallagher increased the distance, and it was enough to stave off a Jets comeback late.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021
Early Injuries Keep Jets Short
The Jets had a little hangover from their nine days off, allowing the Canadiens to dominate early. That was something head coach Paul Maurice said he was afraid of heading into the opening game of the series.
#NHLJets coach Paul Maurice seemed a bit worried about how his team might start the game tonight after 9 days off. And that concern was clearly warranted, given the rough start here to a Montreal team riding an emotional high after 3 straight elimination game victories.
But rest aside, the Jets were also missing Paul Stastny, who was responsible for a pair of points throughout the first round series. They also suffered a defensive loss early, with Dylan DeMelo, who skates on the team's first defensive pairing, ruled out with a lower body injury early.
That gave the Jets just five defenders to hold off a fast-flying Montreal offense.
With the Canadiens ready to go for more on the power play while already up 2-0, Adam Lowry found the back of the net for a short-handed goal.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021
As the clock wore on, what was left of the Jets lineup laid it all out on the ice. Mathieu Perreault needed to be helped off the ice after blocking a shot from Shea Weber, though he returned back to the bench after a quick trip down the tunnel.
The Jets had some renewed energy in the second period, but Canadiens goalie Carey Price was on his game, making 21 stops to keep Winnipeg at bay.
At the start of the third, the Jets showed some signs of life, controlling the period early. It paid off when Derek Forbort scored his second career postseason goal, making it a one-point game with under 11 minutes to play.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021
A depleted Jets lineup pushed but couldn't make up for the hole it fell into following Montreal's quick start.
What's Next? Game 2 is Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Corey Perry: 'I Honestly Felt Sick to My Stomach' After John Tavares Collision
May 21, 2021
TORONTO, ON - MAY 20: Toronto Maple Leafs Center John Tavares (91) is loaded onto a stretcher after being injured during game one of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on May 20, 2021 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Montreal Canadiens forward Corey Perry said he did not intend to injure Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares when his knee caught the center's head in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
The incident occurred in the first period of the Habs' 2-1 victory and left Tavares crumpled on the ice before paramedics were able to get him on to a stretcher and transport him to a local hospital for further evaluation.
"I honestly felt sick to my stomach when I saw it," Perry told reporters after the win. "When I saw him, with the way he is, it's a scary situation. I'll reach out to him and talk to him, and hopefully he's OK."
The Maple Leafs and Canadiens showed their support for John Tavares after a scary collision in Toronto.
Tavares took a clean hit from Ben Chiarot and was falling to the ice when Perry's knee caught him flush in the head. The Canadiens veteran said he tried to avoid Tavares as soon as he fell in his path but couldn't react quickly enough.
"I don't know what else I could do," Perry explained. "I tried to jump over him."
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Tavares was conscious and communicating well following the hit but will remain in hospital overnight despite initial tests coming back "clear."
None of that mattered in the immediate aftermath of the injury, as Toronto's Nick Foligno took it upon himself to drop the gloves with Perry when play resumed.
Despite the accidental nature of Perry's hit, Foligno felt a need to drop the gloves with Perry as retribution.
"Our captain's laying there on the ice," Foligno said. "Nothing more than that. I don't think it's malicious, but our captain's laying there."
Perry understood the sentiment, even if he was clearly shaken from what happened to Tavares.
When asked by @JohnLuTSNMtl if any Leafs accused him of the hit being intentional, Corey Perry said:
âI mean, itâs an accident. All [Foligno] said was âletâs settle this now. I know itâs an accident,â he said. But itâs their captain, so it is what it is. Thatâs all I can say.â
