First period
- The crowd understands how big this game is for their tired team, and get into a “Go Habs Go!” chant immediately.
- Cole Caufield almost completed a nice three-way passing play, but his shot was blocked by Simon Edvinsson, a very good defensive defenceman.
- Jayden Struble throws a big hit in the offensive zone, but the Red Wings continue on with their breakout and end up with a couple of good scoring chances at the other end.
- Though shots are 4-1 Detroit, I like how Montreal is playing, This is one of those games when they’re creating things that just aren’t connecting early, not one of those night where they can’t make a pass through the neutral zone.
- Nick Suzuki runs into the solid body of Ben Chiarot in the neutral zone and needs a moment to get back up.
- Detroit hits the post. Montreal has been getting fortunate with a few of those lately.
- Now the Red Wings are starting to get all the shots. Another “Go Habs Go!” chant rises up.
- Mike Matheson pinches in at the blue and has three Red Wings players race away with the puck with only Alexandre Carrier to defend them. Carrier can’t deny the pass across, and Patrick Kane sets up Dylan Larkin for the opening goal.
- The shots are now 14-3, and that is becoming a concern.
- Another post for Detroit.
- Patrik Laine’s greatest fault is believing he can stick-handle through traffic.
- Josh Anderson earns himself a breakaway … by interfering with Ben Chiarot. Did you know knocking the stick out of a player’s hands is interference? There’s at least one officiating crew that doesn’t.
- Montreal was on track to escape down just one goal but now has to deal with Detroit’s lethal power play.
- The period ends with Montreal trailing by one goal, despite being outshot by a whopping 23-4. Montreal averages 26 shots per game.
Second period
- Oliver Kapanen bats the puck through his defender’s feet, but doesn’t have room to do anything more that try to bat the puck through Talbot’s five-hole. Still, a great effort from him, and some welcome bottom-six creativity.
- Patrik Laine gets cross-checked in the back away from the play. but no call is coming.
- It’s the Finnish line looking the best for Montreal right now, They almost tied the game on a three-on-two, but Alex Newhook couldn’t solve Talbot with a wide-open shot from the slot.
- After a couple of clear infractions from Detroit, the poor refs had no choice but to call Chiarot for a trip of Suzuki in the neutral zone.
- Montreal can’t take advantage of two minutes versus the league’s worst penalty kill, which actually looked pretty good.
- The Habs are starting to get more physical and forcing Detroit into plays they don’t want to make.
- … Like throwing the puck out of play from their own end. Another Habs power play.
- Montreal has started to take over at least in terms of puck possession time, They’re not getting many shots from it, however.
- The legs seem to be working okay, but it’s the brains lagging behind a bit right now with some odd decisions. Everyone needs a rest. But it would be very nice to carry a six-game winning streak into the two-day break.
- Caufield executes a perfect backcheck on Dylan Larkin, one of the fastest players in the league, to strip the pick away on a potential break. His shift ends with his 37th goal as he pounds in a rebound.
Cole Caufield wins the puck at one end, buries a goal at the other Tie game!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 9:38 PM
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- The puck takes a funny bounce off the glass to J.T. Compher in the slot. He has the net open with Montembeault behind it, but Kaiden Guhle gets his stick on the shot to deflect it over the net.
- Carrier is off to the box again for holding. He has eight PIMs in his last four games. Detroit has a chance to get its lead right back.
- Montreal bears down and gets the kill.
- A pretty good period for Montreal. Shots were just 9-7 for Detroit, and Montreal took over for much of it.
- Win one more period win, and the post-season is right within their grasp.
Third period
- Lucas Raymond gets the best scoring chance of the opening minutes. He has half of the ice to himself, but Montembeault does just enough to deflect the puck to the corner.
- Montreal is just trying to drain the clock to zero and make this, at worst, a one-point gain for the Red Wings.
- Hutson makes an incredible fake at the blue line and sets up Josh Anderson for a tap-in, but Dada can’t finish what would have been a spectacular assist for the rookie.
Lane Hutson sent Justin Holl to the Shadow Realm (and then Josh Anderson missed a tap-in but we aren't talking about that)
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 10:17 PM
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- RDS showed Anderson looking very upset with himself for not scoring that goal. He makes up for it on his next shift.
Lane Hutson sent Justin Holl to the Shadow Realm (and then Josh Anderson missed a tap-in but we aren't talking about that)
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 10:17 PM
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- Nine more minutes to go.
- The refs give Detroit its chance with an offensive-zone call on Juraj Slafkovský.
- Detroit is really pressing now. Players are slamming their sticks when plays don’t connect.
- Penalty killed, 6:30 to go.
- Talbot makes an incredible save on Caufield to keep him team alive and this game, and perhaps the season.
- We’ve had the final commercial timeout, and now we’re in for about a five-and-a-half minute penalty kill for Montreal.
- Suzuki’s zone entry threat is thwarted by Caufield’s foot. They both had nowhere else to go.
- 2:44 on the clock.
- Not sure why RDS is showing highlights of Detroit winning the last game of last season versus Montreal, but anyway.
- 1:18.
- Twelve seconds after the faceoff, Brendan Gallagher shows off his long-distance aim yet again by hitting the empty net from the circle of his own zone. It’s 3-1 Montreal.
- Suzuki outskates a desperation swinging slash from Compher to make it 4-1. This game is over, and the playoffs are all but clinched.
- Now everyone go sleep for 48 hours.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Plenty more meetings to come this season
2) We’ve been saying
1) They always believed
