In a do or die game for both teams, Tampa Bay absolutely dominated the Montreal Canadiens. Whatever the shots, the score or the Corsi battle might say, this one was not even close. With their season on life support, the Habs had to dig deep and gut out two big wins to bring this series to a game 6. The effort to battle back, however, seemed to rob Montreal of their fight on this night. The Habs were either unprepared or unable to match the effort Tampa brought to the match. Short of a 70 save effort by Carey Price, they had no game plan and no answer for the Lightning in game 6.
The Canadiens left themselves absolutely no margin for error in starting their comeback in this series. They can say that they were the better team in 4 of the 6 games and that is probably true. But the Canadiens melted down in the final 7 seconds of game 3 and left themselves trailing 3-0. They showed excellent character to battle back, but their reserves were spent in the process. In a series with two very evenly matched teams, it was next to impossible to expect the Habs to outplay Tampa in possibly 6 of 7 games. They arrived at Amalie Arena Tuesday night counting on Price and a prayer. Full credit must go to the Lightning, who got contributions from every player in their line up in game 6. They played their best game when they needed it most and got enough bounces over the course of games 1-3 to swing this series in their favour.
Tampa played to win from the drop of the puck in game 6, whereas Montreal looked to be trying to survive. The Bolts made the key adjustment and activated their defense early in the contest. They picked Montreal apart with precision passing and skated circles around a tired Habs squad. The Lightning absolutely eviscerated Montreal through the neutral zone. Games 1-5 saw Montreal control the play between the blue lines. They were able to choke off Tampa’s attack and counter every turnover with a shot directed at the Bolts’ net. Despite the two day’s rest, the Habs stepped off the bus missing both their intensity and their legs. Tampa Bay had the ice tilted downhill all evening long and it was a battle for the Canadiens to skate or pass the puck pass centre ice.
Ultimately, there is no shame in losing to a talented Tampa team. The Lightning finished 2 points back of Montreal in the regular season and re-tooled after their playoff defeat last year to ice a much stronger line up. These two teams were the 2nd and 3rd best teams in their conference and ranked 2nd and 5th respectively overall. The Canadiens acquitted themselves quite well in this match-up. They carried the play much of the series and can sit at the lake this summer and contemplate what could have been had a few pucks bounced their way. That being said, the reality is Montreal needs to use this loss to take a long look in the mirror.
This Habs team (seasons 12/13-14/15) is actually one of my favourite editions. They genuinely seemed to love to play together. They can skate and move the puck and have some nice offensive talent sprinkled through the line up. They have gritty players who can play any style of game. The Habs play a team first style which is always popular with fans who cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey more so than the name of the back. They have 2 generational talents in Subban and Price and an elite sniper in Pacioretty. They would be a handful for any team in a 7 game series. They also averaged exactly 2 goals a contest this playoff run. They still played their stingy defense and Price was for the most part excellent, but they weren’t able to seize control of games with their goals coming so sparsely. Just because Price has the ability to win games 2-1 or 1-0 with regularity, does not mean that this is the outcome they should be aiming for. What happened to Therrien's initial philosophy that you need 3 goals to win a game? Is their flaw in tactics or personnel?
This team does not need a dramatic turnover. They are a young team with a few proven veterans sprinkled in. They are gaining experience each year and in today’s NHL, a second round appearance in the playoffs is no easy task. But the goal for Habs fans and Marc Bergevin and his staff is not to go on nice playoff runs. The goal is to win a Stanley Cup. The difference between Montreal, Washington, NY Rangers and Tampa bay is very small. The last two years there has been an opportunity for a number of teams to emerge from the Eastern conference. Montreal has fallen short both years. It will be interesting to see the team that wins the East match up with Chicago or Anaheim out west. Can the Eastern rep compete?
Montreal’s championship barometer still resides in Bergevin's former stomping grounds in the Windy City. The task this off season will be to close the gap. The Canadiens have a nice group, good depth with plenty of character. They are starving for one top line sniper to complement Pacioretty. This summer will be very interesting in Montreal. Management cannot be fooled into thinking that time and experience will lead this team to being a true contender. They need more pieces. This Habs squad had a good season, but the Montreal Canadiens did not make their stirring pre-game ceremonies and jersey retirements on the backs of good seasons. The Habs' window is now. They have the best player in the world patrolling their crease. Price is in his absolute prime. There are no guarantees that this window to compete is infinite. This off-season calls for a clear-eyed assessment of their coaching staff, their current make up and their standing in the league.
Bergevin has thus far shown himself to be a shrewd dealer and a solid appraiser of talent. He has filled holes in the Canadiens line up nicely. He is entering his 4th season at the helm of this venerable franchise. His greatest challenge, to evolve from a contender to a champion, lies ahead.