The Montreal Canadiens shocked the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 1.
Almost nobody gave the Montreal Canadiens a chance of beating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the Habs didn’t get that memo. Led by two early goals from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki, along with the steady play of star goaltender Carey Price and a game-winning overtime goal by Jeff Petry, the Canadiens beat the Penguins 3-2 to take a 1-0 series lead.
It was hardly a pretty win. The Penguins dominated play for most of the first 20 minutes, outshooting the Canadiens 18-6. Montreal only had four shots on goal in the third period, compared to Pittsburgh’s eight. But at the end of the night, it was the Canadiens celebrating a win in Game 1.
The series is hardly over, but in a five-game series, winning the first game is crucial. Montreal has a ton of confidence right now, and rightfully so. Here’s what fans should take away from the overtime win.
1. Slow Start
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Montreal cannot afford to start slow again against the Penguins. Price is the only reason the Habs left the first period with a 1-0 lead. If it was any other goalie, the score likely would have been tied at 1 or they would have been trailing. It’s encouraging the Canadiens played much better in the second period, but in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you can’t afford to keep giving the Penguins early chances.
Whether it was jitters or they were finding their legs, the Canadiens looked slow and lethargic in the first period. Even on their first goal from Kotkaniemi, it felt like it was a really weird goal that was a complete fluke. Luckily, those goals count as much on the scoreboard as a picture-perfect snipe from Alex Ovechkin.
But still, if you give the Penguins enough early chances, they have enough elite skill to eventually cash in. Head coach Claude Julien has to make sure his guys are raring and ready to go in Game 2 because the Penguins will probably make a huge push early on.