Canadiens believe best is yet to come in Game 7 vs. Lightning: 'Meant to be'

MONTREAL — One inch, one chance, one wild swipe at a puck from a player who’d barely had it on his stick through the first 21 periods of this series proved to be the difference in the closest game of this punch-for-punch battle between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.

They went 0-0 to overtime in Game 6 Friday. Wild scoring chances were erased by desperate saves through the first nine minutes of the 22^nd period of this series before Gage Goncalves got his stick free of Kaiden Guhle’s to save the Lightning’s season.

He poked and prodded and finally got the puck past Jakub Dobes on Tampa’s 33^rd shot of the game.

The Canadiens had 30 of their own.

Faceoffs went 24-23 in their favour. Hits went 50-37 their way. They blocked 22 shots, while Tampa only blocked 13.

But this game — like every other one of this series — was a coinflip, and it was Tampa’s turn to win.

It would’ve been one thing had the Canadiens just lost it. Had they clamped up and choked away their first opportunity to eliminate the Lightning.

But that’s not what happened.

“I felt we were calm through the chaos,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. “We were good. There was no panic. We had everybody going tonight. It’s unfortunate you don’t get the result, but what a hockey game.”

What a series!

Both teams have three wins, each with two in overtime, one at home and two on the road. Goals are 14-14. There’s only been one two-goal lead the whole time, and it lasted all of 5:37.

Consecutive losses just weren’t in the cards for the Lightning.

“It’s been unreal, to be honest,” said their best player, Brandon Hagel. “We both had 106 points coming into this series. They’re a really, really good hockey team over there, we’re a really, really good team here. I don’t think we expected anything else, other than what’s been going on. They have incredible players, they’ve got everything over there, and we think we’ve got everything over here, so there’s no doubt in mind that’s why this series is kind of going the way we expected it to. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs. That’s just the reality of hockey and the reality of the playoffs, so you’ve gotta be able to control your emotions and control when adversity hits, and I think our team’s been doing a really good job of it. And give them credit, too, their team’s been doing a really good job of it as well. So, it’s going to come down to one game.”

St. Louis called it destiny for his young group.

“Things are meant to be, and I think it’s meant to be for our growth to go play a Game 7,” he said. “I think it’s going to help us for what’s next for us.”

The path to this moment has been an incredible journey, especially considering it started at rock bottom five years ago.

The Canadiens then dove head-first into the first-ever rebuild in their 100-plus year history — just months after their last Stanley Cup run, which ended at Benchmark International Arena (then known as Amalie Arena) at the hands of many core players still propelling this Lightning team.

Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson and Jake Evans, who were on the ice for the Canadiens that night in 2021, have been in Montreal ever since, just waiting for a chance like this.

It’s an opportunity to slam the Lightning’s window shut and hand them their fourth consecutive first-round exit.

After the Canadiens won Game 5 of this series, Gallagher talked about how the painful memories of losing Game 5 in 2021 haunt him every time he steps foot in the home of the Lightning.

After losing Game 6 in Montreal, Evans said, “I try to block it out and not relive those days.”

Of the opportunity directly in front of him and the Canadiens, he said, “I think the way I look at it is they’ve been a top team for a long time, and a Stanley Cup contender for a long time. We’re up and coming, but I feel like we’re just as good and can win this series.”

It looked like it might happen Friday.

Chances for Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson in overtime were two of many the Canadiens generated that could’ve won them the game.

Ivan Demidov and Cole Caufield had incredible ones before that, but Andrei Vasilevskiy matched Dobes save for save and came up with his best stuff before Goncalves scored.

“We learned we had the best goalie in the world,” said Hagel. “I think we already knew that, but he was incredible.”

Who wasn’t in this game?

“It was such a great game,” said St. Louis. “I think both teams played their best game of the series.”

The team that had to win it most did, and so we play on.

“Two of the best teams in the East going at it,” said Hutson, “so it’ll be fun.”

It’ll be tense, fierce, exciting, and hopefully just as close as it’s been in every game so far.

“It’s so even. From the special teams to goaltending to everything," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “That’s how you get Game 7s. To win this, you’re going to have a special game from your team.”

The Canadiens played a great one Friday and lost by one inch, one chance, one wild swipe at a puck from a player who hadn’t touched it much through this series.

But they believe their best is coming Sunday.

“It’s a great opportunity, and you just have to look at it that way,” said Evans. “If we play the way we’re supposed to, I like our chances.”