Stanley Cup final finally provides some magic moments

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This article was published 05/07/2021 (1842 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL —The beauty of sports, the thing that keeps us coming back for more, is the belief that something special is always lurking around the corner. Perhaps it’s an incredible play. A memorable moment. Or an improbable victory you never saw coming. It truly is the best reality show going.

We got all of that, and then some, on a magical Monday night at Bell Centre, where the Montreal Canadiens staved off what was looking like certain defeat and kept their slim Stanley Cup hopes alive with a stunning 3-2 overtime victory over Tampa Bay.

Just like that, a Habs team that had one foot in the grave — including at multiple points within the game itself — has a pulse, however faint, as the best-of-seven series shifts to Florida with the Lightning leading 3-1. Game 5 goes Wednesday night.

The lesson here is never underestimate what sheer will and determination, combined with stellar goaltending and timely scoring, can accomplish, especially when you add a heavy dose of desperation. But it wasn’t easy. It never is, not against these defending champions.

If you’ve ever tried to stop a heavy boulder from rolling downhill, then you probably have an idea of what it must be like to play the Lightning. It’s hard as hell. Near impossible, actually. And the end result is likely going to end up with you getting run over.

Or, in the case of the Canadiens, swept right out of the playoffs, going down in history as one of the weakest and most undeserving finalists in recent hockey history.

And boy, did that ever look like the grim reality when future Hall of Fame defenceman Shea Weber caught Ondrej Palat with an accidental high stick with just 61 seconds remaining in regulation. The Tampa forward came up leaking, giving their potent power play four minutes to work with, including a full 2:59 on a fresh sheet of ice to start overtime.

Game, set and Stanley Cup, right? Not so fast.

Montreal managed to survive the automatic double-minor, thanks to several key Carey Price saves, some fearless shot-blocking by the four men on the ice and a surprisingly cautious Tampa approach that would prove costly. Because less than a minute after Weber emerged from the box to a raucous ovation, rookie sensation Cole Caufield set up power forward Josh Anderson for the incredible game-winner.

The 3,500 fans inside the rink — and thousands more on the streets outside — exploded in pure joy, knowing they’d just witnessed something special, from a franchise that has delivered no shortage of them over its glorious history.

Prior to puck drop, we were reminded of that as a trio of legendary alumni in Yvan Cournoyer, Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy were shown in one of the suites, drawing a roar from the faithful. They all formed pivotal parts of several of the NHL-best 24 Cups that Canadiens have laid claim to, and the quest for 25 can now continue for at least one more game.

The Canadiens didn’t come out looking like that was going to be the case. They spent the first several shifts of the game pinned in their own end, unable to even complete the most basic of passes to exit the zone smoothly. They appeared to be scared of losing, rather than a team trying to actually win. With barely seven minutes off the clock, the Canadiens were getting outshot 8-0. In their own building. Of an elimination game. Shot attempts were an even more lopsided 13-0.

But just when it seemed like a matter of time before Tampa finally connected on one of their chances, it was Montreal which surprisingly struck first late in the opening frame. Anderson finished off a beauty passing play with young linemates Caufield and Nick Suzuki to give the Habs had their first lead.

However, this is a Tampa team that can seemingly score at will, and shutting them out wasn’t realistic. Barclay Goodrow got them on the board, and all square, with just under three minutes left in the second period.

The game remained deadlocked until near the midway mark of the third period, with an unlikely duo teaming up to put the Habs back in front. Alexander Romanov, a rookie defenceman who played 54 regular-season games, fired his first playoff goal in just his third post-season game. He’s been a puzzling healthy scratch, but coach Dominique Ducharme called his name, finally. And the Russian made his bench boss look pretty bright.

Assisting on the goal was Jake Evans, the checking forward who was stretchered off the ice at Bell MTS Place a month ago following a vicious hit from Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele in the opener of their second-round series. Evans missed the duration of that round, plus the entire third round as he recovered from a concussion. He skated in Game 1 of the Cup final, with Joel Armia sidelined, but was a healthy scratch when Armia returned the following game. He took the place of Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Monday.

But Tampa proved how hard they are to put away, with some of the lesser-heralded players coming through once again. Patrick Maroon got away with a clear pick on Montreal defenceman Brett Kulak which cleared room for himself and winger Mathieu Joseph — only in the lineup because of an injury to Alex Killorn — to dash in on a two-on-one. And Maroon finished it off with just over six minutes left on the clock, tying it up.

That set the stage for an incredible finish.

No, the odds still aren’t in Montreal’s favour, and this probably only delays the inevitable by 48 hours. There’s a strong chance the cherished silver chalice will get raised Wednesday night inside Amalie Arena, where a near-capacity crowd of more than 18,000 will no doubt be ready for their opportunity to witness and celebrate a championship. After all, Tampa won the Cup last year inside an empty Edmonton arena as part of the hub city/bubble concept.

Heck, that city’s mayor was practically begging the Lightning to lose on Monday night, just to set up such a scenario.

“What we would like is for the Lightning to take it a little bit easy, to give the Canadiens just the smallest break, allow them to win one at home, and then bring it back to the Amalie Arena for the final and the winning of the Stanley Cup,” Jane Castor said.

Be careful what you wish for, Madam Mayor.

I suspect that little nugget is the proverbial bulletin board material for a Montreal team that was already being counted out before the puck dropped for Game 4. They’d barely looked competitive in two of the first three contests.

But now, they have new life. And new hope. And there’s no telling how far that might take a team that has already defied on the odds several times simply to get to this stage.

As we were reminded Monday night, anything can happen. That’s the beauty of sports, after all.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg