2021 North Division Final Game 4
Montreal Canadiens vs. Winnipeg Jets
MTL leads 3-0
How to watch
Start time: 8:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM PDT
In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the U.S.: NHL Network, NBCSN
Streaming: NHL.tv/NHL Live, Sportsnet Now
When the Canadiens put four shots past Connor Hellebuyck in Game 1, I said that would probably be an outlier in this series that seemed poised to be a real battle for the forwards on both teams to find any offence. It turns out I was the liar on that front, because in Game 3 the reigning Vezina-winner allowed that many again.
Carey Price, meanwhile, has surrendered one goal in the past two games to bring his playoff save percentage up to .938, which now leads the very strong group of goaltenders we’ve seen in these 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There have been some spectacular saves, but he’s not being peppered with dangerous chances all night long thanks to his stalwart defence. After a few games spent running around in their own end versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, things have settled down on the back end. The minutes-long shifts have become rare, and the Canadiens are getting the puck up the ice where their four lines can go to work.
That defence may be dealt a blow if Jeff Petry, who missed the third period of last night’s game with an injury, is unable to start. He’s been chewing up 25 minutes per night while playing in all situations and that would be a difficult deployment to fill. He’s a game-time decision, and would surely love to be healthy enough to help his team out as it tries to close out the second-round series in four games.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Artturi Lehkonen | Phillip Danault | Brendan Gallagher |
| Tyler Toffoli | Nick Suzuki | Cole Caufield |
| Paul Byron | Jesperi Kotkaniemi | Josh Anderson |
| Joel Armia | Eric Staal | Corey Perry |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Ben Chiarot | Shea Weber |
| Brett Kulak | Joel Edmundson |
| Alexander Romanov | Erik Gustafsson |
Goaltenders
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Carey Price | Jake Allen |
Scratches
F: Alex Belzile, Laurent Dauphin, Michael Frolik, Tomas Tatar, Lukas Vejdemo, Jesse Ylönen
D: Cale Fleury, Otto Leskinen, Xavier Ouellet
G: Charlie Lindgren, Michael McNiven, Cayden Primeau
Injured/Ill
F: Jonathan Drouin (leave of absence), Jake Evans (concussion)
D: Jon Merrill, Jeff Petry (upper body)
Winnipeg Jets projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Nikolaj Ehlers | Andrew Copp | Blake Wheeler |
| Kyle Connor | Paul Stastny | Pierre-Luc Dubois |
| Mathieu Perreault | Adam Lowry | Mason Appleton |
| Kristian Vesalainen | Nate Thompson | Trevor Lewis |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Josh Morrissey | Tucker Poolman |
| Derek Forbort | Neal Pionk |
| Logan Stanley | Jordie Benn |
Goaltender
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Connor Hellebuyck | Laurent Brossoit |
