Carolina 4, Montreal 0. The Hurricanes outshoot Montreal 43-18 and never let the Canadiens into the game. Series is 3-1, one win from the Stanley Cup Final.
The key to this game was simple for Montreal, get more pucks to the net, cause traffic and keep up a 21% shooting percentage. What makes this so hard, is the average shooting percentage of an NHL team is between 8-12%. Montreal is statistically 10% above most NHL teams, it is a blend of skill but also, it's starting to look like luck. Carolina's key was to just keep playing Carolina Hurricanes hockey, hard forecheck, take away time and space. Carolina plays its best hockey when they can suffocate the defense and cause turnovers in the offensive zone.
It did not take long to see how this game was going to go. Carolina was all over Montreal. It now has been 3.5 games of the same Carolina forecheck. Martin St. Louis and the Montreal coaching staff have not made any adjustments, they are getting out coached by Rod Brind'Amour. The 4th line of Carolina is dominating Montreal. Not just 4th line vs 4th line, Carrier - Jankowski - Martinook has been a thorn in the side for Montreal. The Canadiens can not match the speed and physicality this line brings off the opening face off.
Montreal goes the first 8 minutes without a shot, while Carolina proceeded to put up 7 in that time frame. Both teams took 2 penalties a piece during the first period but the only one that mattered was Zachary Bolduc hooking Slavin 14:18 into the first. Sebastian Aho blasts a one timer from Ehlers on that power play giving Carolina the 1-0 lead. Montreal had 6 minutes to go in the period, if they could just survive the forecheck.
They did not, Jordan Staal out muscled Josh Anderson in front at 16:07 and just 1:40 after the 2-0 goal Logan Stankoven scored on a 2-on-1. 3 goals in 3 minutes for the Hurricanes and this was all but over 20 minutes into Game 4. Montreal was out shot 12-5 in the frame.
Second period Montreal had a bit more life, but Carolina proceeds to have the defensive structure that Montreal is failing to adapt to. The Canadiens are losing most of the 50/50 pucks and the compete level is not the same as Carolina. Carolina went into a full defensive mode, as they did not need to press with a 3 goal lead.
Montreal during this period did manage to get to 10 shots on goal, but most of them were not threatening or from the outside. Frederik Andersen is looking to rebound after only having a .814 through the first 3 games.
Carolina did what they had to do in period 2, not giving momentum to the Canadiens and quieting the Montreal fans. Shots at the end of the second 24-15 Carolina.
Period 3 was the worst period for the Canadiens. The series on the line as they cannot go down 3-1 to Carolina but that did not seem to give them the energy to compete. Carolina switched game plans and wanted to break the Canadiens mental game. It worked perfectly.
Montreal was getting run through the back wall and could not get the puck out of their defensive zone. Svechnikov would add an empty netter at 18:06 from a Jalen Chatfield feed, to seal the game 4-0 for Carolina. When you get out shot 19-3 in a third period during desperation time something is broken. Montreal took a few bad penalties and gave their fans nothing to cheer about.
The Montreal fans were vocal, as they were all chanting "Shoot the Puck" as Montreal passed up plenty of chances to get the puck towards Frederik Andersen. This game was all about Carolina, they showed up and proved to the NHL that they belong in the Stanley Cup Final with Vegas. Final shots 43-18 Carolina. If we just look at shots over the 4 games, it's 136 for Carolina and 65 for Montreal.
Montreal is now on the brink of elimination; they might have already been there if it wasn't for a poor 1st period of Game 1 from Carolina. Dobes is doing all he can for his teammates, unfortunately for Montreal fans he cannot score as well.
By the numbers
Goal scorers
- 1st period. CAR: Aho (14:59, PP, assists: Ehlers, Gostisbehere). CAR: Staal (16:07, EV, assists: K'Andre Miller, Ehlers). CAR: Stankoven (17:46, EV, assists: Blake, Gostisbehere).
- 2nd period. Scoreless.
- 3rd period. CAR: Svechnikov (18:06, EN, assist: Chatfield).
The series so far
- Game 1 (May 21): Habs 6, Hurricanes 2. Montreal Weathers the Storm.
- Game 2 (May 23): Hurricanes 3, Habs 2 (OT). Hurricanes Strike Back, Series Tied.
- Game 3 (May 25): Hurricanes 3, Habs 2 (OT). One Bad Pass, Carolina Up 2-1.
Carolina leads the series 3-1. Game 5 is back in Raleigh.