The adjustment Canadiens must make to flip series back around on Hurricanes after OT losses

Not only did the Montreal Canadiens suffer a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday evening at Bell Centre, but they also managed a concerning 12 total shots on goal against Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen.

What made matters even worse was the Canadiens’ inability to register a single shot on goal during overtime, which lasted nearly 15 full minutes. A blast from defenseman Mike Matheson, who had scored earlier in the game, rang off the crossbar but did not count as an official shot on goal.

It was a troubling statistic for the Canadiens, who overwhelmed the Hurricanes in the opening game of the series, winning by a 6-2 final score. In fact, Montreal’s victory in Game 1 was the only loss by the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far this spring, but that momentum was quickly halted with a 3-2 OT loss in Game 2, during which they also only managed 12 shots.

While the Hurricanes have built a reputation as one of the NHL’s most defensively disciplined teams, the Canadiens possess enough offensive talent and creativity to generate far more dangerous scoring opportunities than they have recently shown. But sniper Cole Caufield, who scored in Game 1, has been held off the scoresheet in each of the last two games, as has Juraj Slafkovsky. Additionally, captain Nick Suzuki has yet to score in the series, and he blew a golden opportunity early in overtime of Game 3, firing the puck wide of Andersen while on a partial breakaway.

However, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said his team not only needs to improve its forecheck but also make smarter decisions with the puck, which would ultimately create better offensive opportunities and sustained pressure in the attacking zone.

“Obviously we don’t want to pass up on shots, but there’s opportunity there for something better than a shot,” St. Louis said via The Athletic. “I feel like we don’t create enough of those decisions that you have to make. So we’ve got to work on that first.”

“They shoot from everywhere,” St. Louis continued. “I would like it if we shot the puck more, for sure. But it’s not always about shooting from everywhere, it depends on what you believe in. But we need to have more volume.”

The Canadiens have impressed throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially after winning consecutive road Game 7 matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres. However, their backs are once again against the wall as they trail the defensively stingy Hurricanes in the series. If Montreal hopes to avoid falling deeper into trouble, they know they must do a far better job of anticipating plays before they fully develop and capitalizing on small openings.

“Yeah, it is, but there’s always the future. Always,” St. Louis said. “So for me, as much as your space is going to get closed out quicker, you better think about the future quicker. It’s always there, we’ve just got to do it quicker. And I feel at times we’re playing a little too slow, and sometimes we play at the right pace but we don’t execute.”

Game 4 between the Canadiens and Hurricanes is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Montreal.

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