BUT GAGNANT DE JOSH ANDERSON EN PROLONGATION!!!
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 6, 2021
JOSH ANDERSON WINS IT IN OT!!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Xj0dbfDcKm
Josh Anderson got moved up to the line with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki for Game 4. Anderson gave the Montréal Canadiens the team's first lead of the series with a goal off a nice pass from Suzuki. Anderson scored the OT winner with an assist from Caufield. Alexander Romanov added his first playoff goal in the 3rd period to give the Canadiens another lead.
The Game 4 win was the first in the era of the Bell Centre. The 1993 title came at the Montréal Forum.
This team has already come from behind 3-1 to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs this spring. The 1942 Maple Leafs are still the only team to come from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup finals.
L'gros Ben avec l'gros but.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 29, 2021
Big Ben with a big goal.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/vR2q4A06mv
The Game 1 offensive highlight was the Ben Chiarot pinball goal off a pair of Tampa Bay Lightning players. Shea Weber and Jesperi Kotkaniemi had the assists. The lasting memory of Game 1 will be the bloody head of Brendan Gallagher (not pictured). As physical as the Habs have been, they did nothing close to what happened to Gallagher. This type of behaviour should be punished beyond a 2-minute penalty, not rewarded. Shea Weber got fined the max penalty $5,000 for a slash.
The Canadiens almost went 14 games without giving up a power play goal. Steven Stamkos scored one late in Game 1.
Centre Jake Evans returned to the Canadiens lineup in this series. Evans missed 9 games due to a concussion. Joel Armia made the trip to Tampa after being cleared from COVID-19 protocol. Interim coach Dominique Ducharme returned for Game 3 from COVID-19 protocol.
Nick Suzuki had the only goal in Game 2, a back-handed, unassisted goal. The Canadiens outshot Tampa Bay 43-23 in the loss.
Phillip Danault, Nick Suzuki, and Corey Perry scored goals in Game 3. The Lightning had more goals (6) in Game 3 than the Habs combined in the first 3 games.
The team asked the Quebec government if the Bell Centre could have 10,500 fans for the Stanley Cup final games in Montréal. The Quebec government said, "non." The capacity remains at 3,500, fewer than 20% of what is allowed in Tampa.
The crowds outside the arena are still in the thousands. The city of Montréal set up outdoor viewing parties in lieu of fewer people inside the Bell Centre.
Outdoor spaces are generally better than indoor spaces for COVID-19, though 5,000-6,000 could have been a nice compromise.
You’re on pal. #GoBolts https://t.co/jOhA7IB2bE
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 29, 2021
Not our joke: With this series being Montréal vs. Tampa Bay, the winner gets the Rays. For those who don't know the reference, the theory is that the MLB Tampa Bay Rays could play during the summer months in a new downtown ballpark in Montréal. The premise is absurd on so many levels. Build the new stadium and the Rays would be full-time in La Belle Province in 2028.
For all the time MLB has been in Canada, there hasn't been a true baseball stadium like you see down south.
The bet itself, of which we do not know the details, reminded us of the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Then Prime Minister Stephen Harper swept the bet with 48 beers from then President Barack Obama when the Canadian women's and men's hockey teams won gold.
2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Montreal to play for the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1993
2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Montreal, Las Vegas tied 2-2
The Montréal Canadiens will host the 2022 NHL Draft. The team was scheduled to host the 2020 draft. Canadian cities rarely get any NHL perks. The 2009 draft was the last one in Montréal.
There is a plan for a Heritage Classic in March 2022 in a NHL Canadian city. There is only one NHL city in Canada that hasn't hosted an outdoor game: Montréal.
Percival Molson Stadium (home of the CFL Alouettes and McGill University) would be my first choice while Stade Spauto (home of the MLS CF Montréal) would be a good choice as well.
We should give an award to the best Canadian NHL team each season
ESPN announced its NHL lineup for the new U.S. TV deal. We will analyze all the U.S. picks shortly before the next season starts. There are a lot of ESPN analysts but not clear how they will be used on games vs. studio work. The network looks like they put some thought and consideration into the selections.
2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Montreal set to play Las Vegas in Stanley Cup semifinals
The finals TV numbers would have been everything Rogers Sportsnet would have been dreaming of since taking the national contract in 2014. Montréal draws fairly well for a non-Toronto team but the Habs lackluster performance and the finals being in July might be factors.
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final drew less than Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semifinal. Game 4 was a lot better.
CBC carried all of the Stanley Cup final games.
Our apologies for not being able to get TVA Sports numbers. If we get them, we will place them in the story.
Game 1: 3,566,000
Game 2: 3,024,000
Game 3: 3,063,000
Game 4: 3,705,000
2021 Stanley Cup notebook: Montreal sweeps Winnipeg to head to Stanley Cup semifinals
Alexandre Sylvestre (Game 3) and Marc Hervieux (Game 4) supplied the anthems at the Bell Centre. Very few opponents introduce any French into O Canada when the Canadiens are playing. A notable exception is Martina Ortiz Luis for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
On NBCSN, Eddie Olczyk had a personal matter on Game 2 so Brian Boucher went upstairs and Pierre McGuire was inside the glass. Game 3 on NBC had the return of Olczyk while McGuire stayed inside the glass and Boucher was out. Boucher replaced McGuire for Game 4.
No one can be Doc Emrick, but Kenny Albert is doing a good job.
Turns out Peacock is streaming the NBC telecasts as well.
The Game 3 NBC intro featured Guy Carbonneau, captain of the 1993 Stanley Cup champion Montréal Canadiens.
The NHL Network matinee schedule has included CBC rebroadcasts. Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa is on CBC News Network. We saw a brief visual for CBC Gem just before the 3rd period in Game 3.
Montréal Game 1: The National (1st); Death in Cryptoland; CBC Gem; Tokyo Olympics (2nd); CBC News app (3rd)
Montréal Game 2: Players Own Voice; CBC News app (2nd); The National (3rd)
Montréal Game 3: Death in Cryptoland (1st); The Block; Tokyo Olympics (3rd)
Montréal Game 4: The National (1st); Canada Tonight with Ginella Massa (2nd); CBC Gem; CBC News app (3rd)
Twitter captures: @canadiensMTL; @canadiensMTL; @potus
photo credit: Rogers Sportsnet
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