The CH tied an embarrassing record

Vincent Larue
The CH tied an embarrassing record
Credit: Capture d'écran | Twitter

The Canadiens may have found a winning formula since the start of the playoffs… but on Friday night, it finally caught up with them a bit.

Because yes, the Habs tied a rather embarrassing record in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Montreal became only the second team in NHL history to be limited to 12 shots or fewer in a playoff game that went to overtime.

The other team?

The Chicago Blackhawks in 1978. That was a long time ago. A very long time ago.

On paper, a stat like that should normally spell a total rout. Especially against a machine as suffocating as the Carolina Hurricanes.

Yet, the Canadiens still found a way to force the game into overtime.

Honestly, that perfectly sums up this team since the start of the playoffs.

The Habs aren't a team that relies on offensive volume like some other NHL powerhouses. Montreal often prefers to wait for mistakes, take advantage of counterattacks, and capitalize on a few quality chances.

This approach even worked against the Lightning in the first round.

Still, let's not forget that the Habs won Game 7 of their series against the Lightning with just nine shots on goal.

Nine.

A completely insane statistic even today.

But at the same time, it would be wrong to dismiss the Canadiens as a team incapable of generating offense.

Because, especially since the second round, the Habs have still been scoring plenty of goals despite their low shot volume in some games. The team has been extremely opportunistic, and many of its scoring chances come directly from the slot or on the counterattack.

That's also what makes the team so dangerous.

The Habs don't need to take 40 shots to stay in a game.

On Friday night, the difference was that the Canes hardly ever let the Canadiens catch their breath for long stretches. The Hurricanes controlled the pace of the game almost from start to finish.

Despite that, Montreal was still one goal away from stealing another game that made absolutely no sense.

With the series tied 1-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, Martin St-Louis's formula is still working.

However, as the series progresses, the margin for error will slowly begin to disappear.


In a nutshell

– A nice gesture.

– What a pass by Martin Necas!

– Interesting.

– Times are changing.

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