Game 2: What you need to know
The Canadiens are hungry to rebound in Sin City after coming up short earlier in the week
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Here's everything you need to know heading into Game 2:
Looking back
The Canadiens' seven-game winning streak was snapped on Monday night in the series-opener with a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights. After starting the contest strong and quieting the raucous T-Mobile Arena crowd in the first few minutes of the opening frame, defenseman Shea Theodore brought the building to life again by opening the scoring at the 9:15 mark of the first period. Just 2:15 into the middle stanza, Theodore's remarkable creativity was on full display when he faked a shot from the slot and fed fellow blueliner Alec Martinez for an easy snipe that put the Golden Knights ahead for good. Rookie Cole Caufield cut the Vegas lead in half 9:47 later with his first career playoff goal on the power play, but forward Mattias Janmark answered back only 53 seconds later for the home side. Defenseman Nick Holden capped the scoring for Vegas with the lone goal in the third period. Goaltender Marc-André Fleury made 28 saves to earn the victory, while Carey Price turned aside 26 shots in the loss.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: #GoalCaufield, playoff edition. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/xjRSZsX9Yb
When Theodore lit the lamp, it was the first time Montreal trailed since the start of its winning streak. The stretch of 447:08 is the second-longest in NHL postseason history, behind only the 1960 edition of the Canadiens (488:38).
It was also the first game for the Canadiens in the United States since March 7, 2020 (464 days) after playing the regular season in the North Division against six other Canada-based teams and facing Toronto and Winnipeg in the first and second rounds of the playoffs, respectively.
Watch list
Just the beginning:Caufield was disappointed with the final result on Monday night, of course, but he'll always remember beating Fleury for his first of many postseason goals to come. The 20-year-old rookie right-winger was in the right place at the right time to capitalize on a rebound off a shot from Tyler Toffoli, giving the Canadiens a jolt of energy that unfortunately was short-lived. Caufield's parents, Paul and Kelly, and his older brother, Brock, were in the building to witness the moment in person, and the raw emotion was caught on camera. Even though finding the back of the net hasn't been easy for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award winner during the playoffs, Caufield has been a real standout for Montreal over the last 10 games, amassing five points (1 goal, 4 assists). He also has 28 shots on opposing netminders, which has him tied for top spot on the roster alongside Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher and Shea Weber.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: La famille de Caufield ��tait l�� pour son premier en s��ries. 🥲Caufield's family was there for his first playoff goal.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/w8WWg1pMbm
Seven and counting:With the primary helper on Caufield's tally, Toffoli extended his point streak to seven games. The 29-year-old Scarborough, ON native has nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) during that span, and he currently leads Montreal in playoff scoring with 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in 12 games, including two game-winning goals. It's the longest streak in the postseason for Montreal since former captain Saku Koivu accomplished the feat in 2008. The nine-year veteran is just three points shy of matching the career-high 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) he collected in 26 games back in 2014 when he helped the Los Angeles Kings win the Stanley Cup. Toffoli is only the seventh Canadiens player in the last four decades to post a point streak of at least seven games.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: TOFFOLI MET FIN �� LA S��RIE!!!!!!TOFFOLI ENDS THE SERIES!!!!!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/45qjEU0zmI
Hold your head high: If it wasn't for Price's heroics between the pipes, the margin of victory for the Golden Knights on Monday night could've been far bigger. The 33-year-old Anahim Lake, BC native made several highlight-reel saves to keep things close. As per usual, Price was primed for duty and eager to deliver. This glove save on Golden Knights captain Mark Stone on the tail end of a 2-on-1 with Max Pacioretty certainly made the rounds on social media. The Canadiens' starter allowed four goals in a game for the first time since a 5-1 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 2 on May 22.
Tweet from @CanadiensMTL: Sacr�� Carey.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/2jBZ7zc3Mt
What's on tap?
Fan activations are presented by four pillar partners RONA, Scotiabank, Lafleur and Ford.
Details on all of the team's postseason initiatives, including schedules and direct links to the appropriate content platforms, can be found at canadiens.com/playoffs.
At the other end
The Golden Knights have every reason to feel good about themselves after winning their fifth straight game. Vegas recorded five consecutive victories within a postseason for the fourth time since their inaugural season in 2017-18. Head coach Peter DeBoer's contingent hasn't lost since dropping the first two games of their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Tweet from @GoldenKnights: this assist????? are we kidding???????#VegasBorn | @Raising\_Canes pic.twitter.com/8MAEzfDK5K
Watch list
Offensive defensemen:The Golden Knights' blueliners were definitely the difference-makers in Game 1, combining for six points (3 goals, 3 assists). Vegas became the second team to have three different rearguards score at least one goal in a game taking place during the Conference Finals/Semifinals. The Golden Knights joined the Penguins in that department, who accomplished the feat in Game 5 of the 1991 Prince of Wales Conference Final, when Larry Murphy, Paul Stanton and Ulf Samuelsson scored for Pittsburgh. Vegas defensemen have combined for 37 points (9 goals, 28 assists) during the club's 2021 playoff run. With respect to Theodore, he became the sixth Vegas defenseman with at least one goal this postseason. There have been only five instances in NHL history in which a team had seven in a playoff year, including Edmonton (1987), Calgary (1988), Pittsburgh (1991), Washington (1994) and Boston (2019).
Tweet from @GoldenKnights: Holdy & a goodie#VegasBorn | @Raising\_Canes pic.twitter.com/j5HqZ9RW3C
King William: While the bulk of the Golden Knights' big guns didn't register points on Monday night, centreman William Karlsson did, extending his point streak to five games with an assist. The 28-year-old Swede has seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) during that span. Karlsson is Vegas' leading scorer in the playoffs with 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 14 games. It goes without saying that offensive catalysts like Stone, Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault remain a constant threat whenever they're on the ice, and they'll be chomping at the bit to put up numbers in the next installment of the series.
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Flower power: Another all-important reason why the Golden Knights are enjoying tremendous success of late is Fleury's consistency. The 36-year-old Sorel, QC native improved to 5-0 in his last five appearances, compiling a 1.80 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage along the way. Fleury's longest winning streak in a postseason is seven games, which he achieved with Pittsburgh in 2008. The Canadiens must get more traffic in front of the three-time Stanley Cup champion in Game 2 in order to solve him. That's easier said than done because of the size and grit of the Vegas defensemen, but it's a necessity moving forward.
On paper
Here are a few key stats from Game 1:
Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.
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