Nos rivaux de toujours. 🤝
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 1, 2021
Forever rivals.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/NpUqDYcxtE
Editor's note: This story has been updated with Canadian TV numbers for Game 7.
Carey Price.
The Montréal goaltender, who spent several weeks toward the end of the regular season on the sidelines with an injury, dominated the Stanley Cup playoff series over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens struggled early in the series to score. Toronto had as many goals in Game 4 (4) as the Canadiens had in the first 4 games combined. Montréal outscored the Maple Leafs 10-6 in the final 3 games.
The Maple Leafs won 3 games by May 25. By May 31, their season was done.
This 3-game run reminded us of his run in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Price surrendered 3 goals in 5 games with back-to-back shutouts over the United States and Sweden to win the gold medal for Canada.
William Nylander led the Leafs with 5 goals in 6 games. Auston Matthews had a single goal in Game 2 while Mitch Marner was scoreless.
Brendan Gallagher, who was also injured late in the season, broke the scoreless tie in Game 7. Corey Perry, one of several Canadiens with a Stanley Cup, scored the insurance goal.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi had 3 goals in the series for the Habs, 7 playoff goals overall and he wouldn't be allowed to drink in the United States.
Jake Muzzin was out for Game 7 with a long-term injury. John Tavares missed all but the early part of Game 1. The "win one for the captain" was a theme in Games 2-4 but seemed to disappear over Games 5-7.
Frederik Andersen was the Maple Leafs starting goalie but didn't play at all. Jack Campbell did well in his first playoff series but couldn't match up with Carey Price.
The Maple Leafs lost 3 of the 4 games at Scotiabank Arena but did manage to go 2-1 at the Bell Centre. Toronto is now 0-8 in attempts to clinch a series.
🚨 KYLE CONNOR ENDS IT IN 3OT! 🚨
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 25, 2021
The @NHLJets are moving on to the Second Round of the #StanleyCup Playoffs! #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/xJniBzPz6B
The Canadian final has no Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, or Mitch Marner. Winnipeg and Montréal were the more balanced teams in the opening round.
Winnipeg held a 6-3 edge over Montréal in the regular season, going 3-1 at home and 3-2 on the road. Then again, Toronto and Edmonton dominated their opponents in the regular season.
We know the west winner (Colorado/Las Vegas) will play Winnipeg or Montréal in the final four. The Maple Leafs would have had home ice over Tampa Bay but not against Carolina. We hear there may be a travel exemption allowing the Canadian winner to go back and forth to play the next round.
We have talked about the Toronto woes in winning a playoff series. 2018 saw the Jets win back-to-back playoff series over Minnesota and Nashville. Winnipeg won the opening playoff series in 1985 and 1987, both over Calgary.
That is the total success for Winnipeg in the NHL both 1.0 and 2.0. The Winnipeg Jets did win the Avco Cup in the WHA in 1976, 1978, and 1979.
The Winnipeg-Edmonton series was the third series to end. Montréal fans shouldn't underestimate Winnipeg, given the regular season dominance. The Oilers made that mistake. Winnipeg has depth at centre, lots of people who can score, and a tough goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck.
2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Toronto-Montreal reaches Game 7
The Montréal veterans who have won the Stanley Cup had the better numbers over the Toronto veterans who haven't won the Stanley Cup. Eric Staal set up Brendan Gallagher on the opening goal last night. Corey Perry also scored and has had a terrific series. Joel Edmundson has played solid defence.
Jason Spezza had a strong series. Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds played well for Toronto but weren't as strong on the scoresheet.
2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Winnipeg Jets pull off the sweep
550 fully vaccinated health-care workers attended Game 7. Ontario Premier Doug Ford initially would not let anyone, even for Game 7.
Alberta let in 12 health-care workers for Game 1 in Edmonton in the first round. Quebec and Montréal allowed 2,500 regular fans for Game 6.
In a news release, Ford said the decision was made in consultation with Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Toronto Public Health and hospital administrators.
There is a nuance between allowing health care workers and fans. Every playoff game in Canada should have had health-care workers symbolically in the stands, even in Manitoba, a province struggling with the current wave.
We get that Canada wants to be "safe" but the U.S. crowds have been embarrassingly large in contrast to the virtually empty Canadian arenas. The games in Montréal (Games 3-4 at least) can have 2,500 fans for each game.
Today would’ve been an amazing day to visit Toronto for a Game 7 (this picture is how I remember it from 2018). Alas… still amped to be on the call tonight with @mooredom for the for the first Leafs-Habs Game 7 since 1957 😧! See you tonight at 7 ET on CNBC. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Qj2pWXJN2V
— Alex Faust (@alex_faust) May 31, 2021
We appreciate the airing of the Game 7 anthem in the United States. The U.S. hockey audience might have been startled by the news of the bodies of the 215 children found at the Kamloops residential school. We suggest doing a bit of research to learn more.
Martina Ortiz-Luis performed O Canada from Scotiabank Arena. She had been performing the anthem from home during the regular season. Been fun watching her on the final season of Wynonna Earp.
Alex Faust and Dominic Moore finished up the Canadian final for NBC. They certainly have earned their way toward calling the Canadian final. NBC never did release announcer information for Game 5 or Game 7. The Alex Faust Twitter feed has been more reliable than NBC.
2021 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview for Canadian teams
NHL notebook: Waiting to start the Stanley Cup chase in Canada
The Canadian ratings for the Toronto-Montréal series have been dream numbers for Rogers Sportsnet. These are the numbers for CBC and Sportsnet:
Game 1: 3,509,000
Game 2: 3,096,000
Game 3: 3,381,000
Game 4: 3,128,000
Game 5: 3,241,000
Game 6: 4,727,000
Game 7: 4,825,000
These do not include TVA Sports numbers. Game 6 drew 1,185,000 and Game 7 drew 1,150,000 en Francaise.
By contrast, Game 1 of Winnipeg at Edmonton drew 2,038,000 on CBC and Sportsnet.
The high end of these numbers have far exceeded any game Rogers Sportsnet has had since taking over in 2014.
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
Chris Cuthbert and Craig Simpson will call this series on CBC and Rogers Sportsnet with Scott Oake in Winnipeg and Kyle Bukauskas in Montréal. CBC will not carry Game 3 on Sunday night because of the Juno Awards.
We are tracking CBC telecasts in the second round here. This story will be updated. John Bartlett and Garry Galley will handle the U.S. games on CBC. Here is the total CBC schedule:
May 30 Las Vegas @ Colorado, 8p
May 31 Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
June 2 Montréal @ Winnipeg, 7:30p
June 2 Las Vegas @ Colorado, 10p
June 3 Boston @ NY Islanders, 7:30p
June 4 Montréal @ Winnipeg, 7:30p
June 4 Colorado @ Las Vegas, 10p
June 5 Boston @ NY Islanders, 7p
June 7 Winnipeg @ Montréal, 8p
June 8 Las Vegas @ Colorado, 9p
June 9 Boston @ NY Islanders, 7:30p
June 10 Colorado @ Las Vegas, 9p
June 12 Las Vegas @ Colorado, 7:30p (if needed)
We haven't had U.S. matinee rebroadcasts of any Canadian game on the NHL Network due mostly to the IIHF World Championship. That tournament ends June 6 so maybe the schedule will open up.
Twitter captures: @CanadiensMTL; @sportsnet; @alex_faust
photo credits: Rogers Sportsnet; NHL
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