Hidden Game: Canadiens can’t solve Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in heartbreaking OT loss

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Perhaps when we look back on this playoff series between the Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, we’ll all agree it deserved to go seven games?

Six contests so far in the books. All decided by one goal. Four of them going to overtime. There really has been little to separate these two teams, both of which finished the regular season tied with 106 points. They probably could play a best-of-15 and it would be tied going into the deciding match.

Hockey fans react after their team is defeated in overtime.

However, should the Canadiens lose Sunday’s deciding game at Benchmark International Arena, there won’t be anything left but the crying, knowing Montreal had numerous opportunities to clinch this series.

It’s always the least-likely suspect: On a team that has Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel, among others, of course it would be little-known Gage Goncalves who proved to be the hero — and gets to enjoy his 15 minutes of fame — after scoring the winning, and only, goal at 9:02 of overtime Friday night at the Bell Centre.

While the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Goncalves was a second-round (62nd overall) Lightning draft choice in 2020, he has hardly been a goal-scoring machine. The left-winger, who plays on Tampa Bay’s fourth line, scored 11 goals in 74 games this season. In 136 career games, he has 19 goals. Predictably, this was his first career playoff score.

Our random thought of the night (Part I): Has there ever been a more exciting game that was goal-less through 60 minutes?

Our random thought of the night (Part II): The Canadiens were an excellent road team this season, going 24-9-8. And they’ve won two of three road games in this series. But is it too much to ask of a young team to win for a third time? In a winner-take-all scenario?

Hockey player is surrounded by four opponents.

News you need (Part I): The Lightning will be playing a seventh game for the 11th time in franchise history — including the first since 2022. In 31 all-time potential elimination games, the team improved to 17-14.

News you need (Part II): The Lightning own the highest winning percentage in Game 7s among clubs that have contested more than five in franchise history. Tampa Bay owns a 7-3 record, including 4-1 on home ice. The Canadiens will be playing a deciding game for the 25th time in franchise history. They’re 15-9 overall, including 7-6 on the road. This marks the first time since 2021 — opening round against Toronto — the Canadiens will play a seventh game.

On the other hand: Should Tampa Bay lose on Sunday, it will be eliminated in the opening-round for a fourth consecutive season.

So much for history: The Canadiens had been 7-1 all-time at home in Game 6.

News you need (Part III): This was the Lightning’s 38th road playoff victory since 2016 — the most of any team.

And now you know why he’s a Vezina Trophy finalist: Andrei Vasilevskiy came to play, stopping 30 shots. He simply was brilliant.

The other guy wasn’t bad, either: Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots before allowing a rebound to Goncalves. This after making a pad save. His save percentage was .970.

A goaltender’s best friend (Part I): Guentzel hit the post in the first period — about two minutes after hard-luck Cole Caufield, still stuck on one goal, did likewise. With the Lightning on a power play in the third period, both Guentzel and Kucherov hit the post.

A goaltender’s best friend (Part II): Phillip Danault saved a certain goal — the puck inches from rolling over the goal-line — in the second period after Guentzel hit yet another post.

Great moments in officiating: Give credit to referees Francis Charron and Jon McIsaac. They let the players play in a game that was extremely physical from the opening seconds. That is until Ivan Demidov received a minor for goalie interference late in the third period. The Russian rookie was driving to the net and almost scored. It also appeared Anthony Cirelli played a part in taking Demidov into Vasilevskiy. Given the magnitude of this game, and with such little time remaining in regulation time, we’re left scratching our head. In Gary Bettman’s NHL, this is the case far too frequently.

How’s this for irony: Since being united earlier in this series, the line of Kirby Dach, Alexandre Texier and Zachary Bolduc has been brilliant for Montreal; the trio accounting for five goals and 11 points heading into this game. But all three players were on the ice when the winning goal was scored, along with Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj. Guhle was the closest player to Goncalves and can’t be faulted.

He came to play: Josh Anderson, who saves his best performances for the playoffs, hit Erik Cernak hard in the opening 10 seconds. Anderson had nine hits in total.

Payback time: Juraj Slafkovsky, dropped by Hagel earlier in this series when the two fought, lost his stick in the first period, but still delivered a good check on Hagel, who lost his balance.

Best missed check: Early in the second period, Hagel thought he had Nick Suzuki lined up. Instead, he sailed over the Canadiens’ captain and slid into the boards.

Guess he didn’t see the yield sign: Danault ran into Brendan Gallagher behind the Lightning net in the second period.

Canadiens and Lightning players on the ice.

Hit of the night: Anderson destroyed Hagel early in the third period.

Another missed call: Yes, it was on his follow-through, but Mike Matheson clipped Brayden Point in the mouth — drawing blood — in the third period. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was almost apoplectic on the bench.

Yes, there is a hockey god: The notorious Kucherov was penalized for tripping Alexandre Carrier in overtime. The Canadiens had the series served to them on a platter, but failed to capitalize. And if they lose on Sunday …

Next time, decline the penalty: Both teams went 0-for-3 with the man-advantage.

Quick stats: Demidov had five shots — one more than Caufield. Xhekaj had seven hits, while Jake Evans had six. Jayden Struble had five hits. Matheson blocked four shots while playing 28:47. Lane Hutson played 30:44. Gallagher played only 5:39, but had two hits. The Canadiens won 51.1 per cent of their faceoffs, blocked 22 shots and outhit Tampa Bay, 50-37.

Hockey goaltender kicks the puck wide after a shot.

They said it: “Stay positive,” Suzuki said. “We were the better team for most of that game. We just didn’t score. Vasilevskiy kind of won them that game. Everyone played a great game. We just didn’t get the result. We’re ready to go down to Tampa and win Game 7. We’ve gone down there and won. We’re confident we can go into there and win another one.”

“We’re not surprised it’s ending up in Game 7 and we have a lot of confidence we can go down there and find a win,” Matheson said. “I think we have nothing to lose. The message is to go out there like you have nothing to lose. Leave it all out there. Don’t have any regrets.”

“We had plenty of chances to take the lead,” Evans said. “Obviously, we didn’t. I don’t think anyone in here thought it would be a quick series. We have to enjoy the moment and enjoy these opportunities. We’re lucky enough to play a Game 7 against a really good team. We just have to enjoy that moment and be excited by it.”

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