Carey Price and Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadiens react after their 2-1 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at Bell Centre on June 20, 2021, in Montreal.Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
The Canadiens blew a third-period lead on Sunday and are headed back to Las Vegas now with their best-of-seven Stanley Cup semi-final series tied at two victories a piece.
Nicolas Roy scored the game-winner for the Golden Knights on a rebound only 1:18 seconds into overtime, and goalie Robin Lehner, a surprise starter, had 27 saves as the visitors silenced the home crowd at the Bell Centre.
Defenceman Brayden McNabb beat Carey Price with a wrist shot from 12 feet away to tie the game at 1-1 with 9:23 left in the third period. Paul Byron had put Montreal ahead 1-0 when he scored on a breakaway with 1:05 left in the second.
Game 5 will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.
It is a tough loss for Montreal, which appeared to be on the verge of taking a 3-1 lead in the series. Price had 19 saves in only his second loss in the last 11 postseason games.
It was the second straight overtime contest between the two clubs; Montreal won in extra time on Friday night.
“We knew it was going to be a long series,” Luke Richardson, who is filling in for interim head coach Dominque Ducharme. The latter is in isolation at home in Montreal after testing positive for COVID-19. “We were expecting that and will be back pushing on Tuesday.
“We are okay here. I know it hurts if you are a player and put up that much effort only to lose in overtime, but you have to park that.”
Byron scored his second goal of the series and third of the postseason with 1:05 left in the second period. He was loose behind the defence when he steadied a pass into his skates by Nick Suzuki, and then snapped a puck up and over Lehner into the back of the net.
Habs draw even with Golden Knights in Stanley Cup semi-final series after Game 2 win
It was only the second start of the playoffs for the 29-year-old. He had not played since he allowed seven goals on 37 shots in the opening game of the Golden Knights’ second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Marc-André Fleury had started 17 of the preceding 18 games but was benched after two straight losses to the Canadiens. Josh Anderson scored the tying goal against him on Friday with 1:55 remaining in the third period after Fleury made a terrible gaffe. Anderson then beat him again for the win.
“For me, it was just another opportunity to help this team and organization win the game and get one win closer to the Stanley Cup finals. Truly in my heart, I don’t care if I am on the bench or in the net. People don’t understand that, but I couldn’t care less. You just do what you can for the team whatever position you are in.”
The Montreal-Vegas winner plays the winner from the other semi-final matchup between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning. That series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 in Florida on Monday night.
The Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, which they accomplished in their last appearance in the finals in 1993. Vegas is trying to reach the Stanley Cup final for the second time in its four years of existence. The Golden Knights lost in the final in their inaugural season to the Washington Capitals.
Roy, who grew up in Amos, a small town in northwestern Quebec, was thrilled to score the winning goal in front of his parents and in-laws.
“It was unbelievable, a nice feeling for sure,” he said, “I had always dreamed of scoring in overtime at the Bell Centre. It’s a big win.”
It was the second game the Canadiens were without Ducharme on the bench. Ducharme has been in isolation after he received confirmation Friday morning that he tested positive for COVID-19. A test administered the day before in Las Vegas indicated the possibility that he could be infected.
Speaking publicly about it for the first time, Ducharme said early Sunday that he had no symptoms and that nobody close to him has COVID either.
“I wish I could go to the rink right now,” Ducharme said. “I don’t feel different than I did a week ago.”
Ducharme said that the team was not allowed outside of its hotel in Las Vegas other than to take a bus to and from the arena and to play in the first two games of the series. He said he never left his quarters other than to join other team members in the common room where they all eat. Ducharme said he also went to the hotel fitness centre after hours.
“This is frustrating because we are doing everything that we are asked to do,” Ducharme said. “I never exposed myself. We worked all year to be there. It’s frustrating, for sure.”
It is unknown when Ducharme can return. He received a second COVID vaccine on June 9. It is believed that it takes two weeks after that for individuals to be fully immune.
“I’m confident I will be back before too long,” he said.
Vegas coach head Peter DeBoer missed one game during the regular season when he tested positive for COVID-19 as well. And Kelly McCrimmon, the Golden Knights general manager, is in isolation in Montreal after he, too, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“I am sympathetic [toward Dominique],” DeBoer said Sunday. “My first thought is that I hope he and his family are healthy. I wish him the best. It’s a dangerous virus. Thankfully, it is in my rear-view mirror.”
Fans at the Bell Centre were outraged during Game 3 when Canadiens forward Corey Perry was struck in the face with a high stick during overtime and no penalty was called. Perry was bleeding heavily from his nose as he left the ice. The cut took six to eight stitches to close. Perry was just getting ready to return to action when he heard the horn sound from a room beneath the arena, indicating the game had ended.
“It was fun to at least be part of the celebration,” Perry, 36, said.
The only celebrants in Montreal on Sunday were on the opposing side.