Canadiens have ‘great opportunity’ to make amends at home in Game 3 of East Final

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Montreal Canadiens and their fans solemnly stepped out of the building and trapsed the city streets and parking garages late on the night of May 16, not knowing if their last experience this season in the raucous cauldron that is Bell Centre in the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be an 8-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round.

It was an uneasy feeling to say the least, the Canadiens failing for the fourth time in six games this postseason to deliver a win in front of the 20,962 fans that make their home at 1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montreal so inviting to them and, in theory, so intimidating to the opponent.

"You don't want to end your season the way we did the last home game at the Bell Centre," Canadiens center Jake Evans said.

Alex Newhook's overtime goal in Game 7 in Buffalo two nights later assured Montreal and its fans there would be more hockey to play at Bell Centre this season, more chanting and screaming and decibel-meter breaking noise to make.

Finally, after three straight road games, the Canadiens will be back home Monday for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes (8 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX).

It's another opportunity for the home team to do right by its fans, not to mention a chance to regain the lead in the best-of-7 series that is tied 1-1 after Carolina's 3-2 overtime win at Lenovo Center on Saturday.

"I think I can speak for the entire team, it's so special playing at the Bell Centre," Evans said. "Our fans are so passionate, and we want to give whatever we can back to them. … We're excited. We always just love playing there. It's just truly just such a special place. To get another opportunity and give our fans a good show is a great opportunity."

A good show is fine. It's what every team should want to do. Sports is entertainment, after all.

But the Canadiens think their problems at home this postseason stem from attempting to put on too good of a show, trying to make jaw-dropping plays to get a rise out of the crowd and potentially end up on SportsCenter (or SportsCentre).

Evans said that is how they got into trouble in Game 6 against the Sabres.

"With the opportunities that we had, maybe we got a little too excited and opened things up," he said.

The Canadiens haven't done that on the road, where they're 7-3 this postseason.

Even in Game 2 on Saturday, when a less mature team might have tried to overextend offensively to make a play because the opportunities were so few and far between, Montreal, despite being outshot 26-12, did not play with unnecessary risk.

"When you're on the road, we've been a really good road team all year, you can simplify," captain Nick Suzuki said. "At home, I feel like we attempt to make too many plays and try to pass the puck in the net. That's something that we're learning through these playoffs. It's going to take us playing really well at home to beat these guys."

There is a blueprint for that. The Canadiens have played some good home games in the playoffs.

Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round: They won 3-2 in overtime and allowed 17 shots on goal.

Game 6 against the Lightning: They lost 1-0 in overtime, but it was a strong performance with one shot being the difference.

Game 3 against the Sabres: They won 6-2, propelled by two goals from Newhook.

But the Canadiens are still 2-4 at home. Suzuki still has only two of his team-leading 16 points (both assists) in the six home games. Juraj Slafkovsky has two points at home (one goal, one assist) and 10 in 10 road games. Josh Anderson, who scored both Montreal goals Saturday, has no points at home. Phillip Danault, who has five points in the past three games, has one assist in six home games.

"I think the biggest thing for me not being on the ice, but being on the bench with them, the fans have poured so much love and so much support, and I feel like we want to do it for them so bad that sometimes we just try too hard and look out of sorts a bit," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. "We still have had some good games at home that resulted in wins. Does that add like, 'Oh, we really need to win this one, we really need to win this one for them?' I just think we need to take a deep breath and understand that they are behind us, they showed us a lot of love, and I always say we’ve just got to try to play the game that's in front of us, not be too determined because you want it so bad."

So that's Montreal's challenge Monday.

The most recent memory the Canadiens have at home is the 8-3 loss eight days ago. They left not knowing if they'd be back this season.

Well, the doors will open again, the fans will file in, they will chant and scream, the lights will go out, the cauldron will get lit, and the big show will be back on at Bell Centre, the home team with a chance to make amends and take another step closer to the Stanley Cup Final.

"Being 1-1 is a good spot on the road," Suzuki said. "I think we can just go back home with a lot of confidence that we can beat these guys in the series."