What will haunt Canadiens most about failed four-minute power play?
TSN
0:08 It is time for the Habs playoff report with Arpen Bassu
0:11 of the Athletic and Pierre Lebrun of the Athletic and TSN.
0:15 Both of these gentlemen right for the Athletic guys.
0:18 The Montreal Canadiens one for seven on the power play in game four.
0:22 That second period sequence where Bo Byum takes the four-minute penalty.
0:26 they don't capitalize and then Zack Benson scores right after.
0:30 What do you think will haunt Montreal the most about that sequence?
0:36 I mean, the lack of a goal would
0:37 be the primary thing that's going to haunt them.
0:39 I mean, I think they were generally pretty happy with how that power play went.
0:43 Um, Martinee St.
0:44 Louis said he couldn't believe that they only got one power play goal.
0:47 Cole Caulfield said score when he was asked what he would have changed about it.
0:51 I mean, I don't think that the chance
0:52 generation was a big issue in the Canadians room.
0:55 I have a feeling that when they go over the tape tomorrow,
0:57 they might take some issue with just how sharp they were.
1:01 They weren't quite as crisp as they needed to be
1:03 to get that PK moving more than they did.
1:06 Uh but overall, I think they just felt like
1:08 they got goal lead on that on that power play.
1:11 Well, the flip side to that, Arpin,
1:12 is that the Buffalo Sabres had their best PK moments of the series,
1:15 and that was huge for them.
1:17 Honestly, almost a season saving penalty kill, especially on the four minutes.
1:21 And you know, I I would say UPL was probably their best penalty killer,
1:24 but Samuelson was unreal.
1:26 How about Luke Shen entering this series and his penalty killing minutes.
1:30 Um, and it's important because obviously
1:32 teams try to find tweaks and adjustments
1:34 when they're playing a part facing a power play like the Montreal Canadians.
1:38 That has been so impactful.
1:41 And I just had a light.
1:43 I love it.
1:44 Let's keep going.
1:45 Hit my left elbow.
1:46 Are you okay?
1:47 We can keep going.
1:48 We'll keep going.
1:49 You know, you know what?
1:50 You know what?
1:50 This is like the Sabres PK.
1:52 That was like me blocking a shot just
1:54 like Samuelson and the Sabres never never flinched.
1:58 But you know what?
1:59 Um, that's the story of the night.
2:01 I love it.
2:01 I love it.
2:02 Uh, you are a true light blowing up is the story of the night.
2:05 That's awesome.
2:06 Well, that's Well, we'll put that in our popular
2:08 you blew it segment later in the show.
2:10 Uh, actually, Pier, you brought up Ukapeka Lucan and we we
2:13 all know how great he was for Buffalo in the regular season,
2:16 but he hadn't been seen since game two of the first round.
2:19 28 saves.
2:20 Uh how impressive was that performance considering
2:23 he hadn't seen the crease in three weeks?
2:26 Yeah, really huge.
2:27 And you know what I love about the goalie switch at this particular moment is
2:30 that some teams will wait till they're down 3-1 in the series to do this.
2:34 And credit to Lindy Roth,
2:36 who has a sense and a feel for his goalies, for his team.
2:38 He said, "No, we have a chance to regain momentum in this series.
2:42 I'll do the goalie switch now in game four
2:44 in Montreal." And it paid off for Lindy Ruff.
2:47 UVL looked like he hadn't missed three weeks at all and his saves
2:50 in particular on Cole Coughfield in the second period power play were huge.
2:54 Kept his team in the game and then eventually they win this.
2:56 So pretty sure it's his net the rest of the way now.
2:59 And that save in particular that we're looking at.
3:01 I mean Cole Coughfield said they do a pre-cout on the goalies
3:04 and they know that he can he can do the splits.
3:06 He can go post to post really well.
3:09 I mean no one's ever doubted UPL's talent.
3:11 It's just been the consistency that's been an issue.
3:13 Um you know the Canadians were prepared.
3:15 like it's it's not easy in the middle of the series to go from one goalender.
3:18 You you have certain tendencies that you're
3:20 trying to exploit exploited as a shooter
3:22 uh to go to a different guy who's a lot more athletic, a lot bigger.
3:25 It's a very different profile of goalie.
3:27 Uh the Canadians felt prepared for it,
3:29 but ultimately uh UPL got the better of them on this game.
3:32 And Yakab Dovish was good, too.
3:34 Made some big saves.
3:34 But Ta Thompson scores perhaps the flukiest
3:37 goal of this year's Stanley Cup playoffs.
3:40 Uh tell us about it, Arpin,
3:42 because you've seen this before in the Bell Center, haven't you?
3:46 Yes, I have.
3:46 Now, there's a lot going on there.
3:48 First of all, the Canadians penalty kill are
3:51 trying to get the Sabres to dump pucks in.
3:53 So, to them, Ta Thompson finally choosing to dump a puck in on the power play,
3:57 which the Sabres have been really stubborn in not doing.
4:00 Like, oh, that's a win for us.
4:02 Second thing, it goes into that corner.
4:05 There's been at least a half dozen,
4:07 if not more times this season where a dump puck into that corner,
4:10 the Zamboni door, has given it a wonky bounce to the front of the net.
4:13 Martinez St.
4:14 Louis said after the game, we talk about it.
4:16 And what they did talk about is that one time they
4:19 got burned because Dobish went behind the net to play that puck.
4:22 It bounces out in front.
4:23 They give up a goal.
4:24 So, ever since then, Dobish has been told not to leave the net.
4:28 This time, he doesn't leave the net.
4:29 Had he left the net, that puck probably wouldn't have gone in.
4:32 So, that's kind of the random nature.
4:33 But, when you're at home ice,
4:35 you're supposed to know the little nooks and crannies of your home building,
4:38 and it kind of burned them on this one.
4:39 Silver lining though if you're Montreal heading
4:41 into game five is how Dovvis reacted after that.
4:44 I mean, if you still were worried about his his makeup here,
4:48 uh he didn't look like a guy that was rattled at all by that goal.
4:51 It reminds me a bit of the weak goal heal he
4:52 gave up to Brandon Hegel in the first round against Tampa.
4:54 And you wondered, oh boy, is that going to rattle him?
4:57 Nope.
4:57 Absolutely unflapable after that goal as well.
5:00 So that's the thing I'd look at.
5:01 I mean, his two saves on Helenius in the third period G kept Montreal alive.
5:06 Still down 3-2.
5:07 So that's a good sign for Montreal heading into game five.
5:10 All right, so we are heading into game five.
5:11 The series is now tied for both of you gentlemen.
5:14 What does Montreal need to clean up as we head back to Western New York?
5:19 Well, I mean, you look at how they started this game and and and they
5:23 get a bit of a bounce in the sense that that goal gets disallowed.
5:26 Marty St.
5:27 Louis challenges it.
5:28 Good on them for doing so.
5:29 Uh but they were going to be down two
5:31 nothing in this game because they started completely flat.
5:33 And you know, we were talking about them needing to manufacture urgency.
5:36 Well, they didn't do that.
5:37 They didn't match the Sabres urgency right from the start.
5:40 They're not going to have to manufacture it in game five,
5:41 but they're going to have to start right from the drop
5:43 of the puck way better than they did in game four.
5:45 That's for sure.
5:45 And Jay, Buffalo has stuff to clean up,
5:47 too, despite grinding out a really important win.
5:49 Uh, not taking dumb penalties.
5:51 I mean, Lindy Ruff kind of unsolicited
5:54 brought up the fact that that was self-inflicted pain for his team and that he
5:57 had talked to his players yesterday about discipline.
6:01 And yeah, Lenny Ruff said he thought some of the calls were soft,
6:04 but at the end of the day,
6:05 you have to know that those calls might be coming and they got to be
6:08 smarter because if they give Montreal seven
6:11 power play opportunities again uh in game five,
6:14 I got a feeling it's going to be a different result.
6:17 Arpin, Pierre, you guys were great once again.
6:19 And Pierre, I got to give you a a special
6:22 shout out because you just powered through that light attacking you.
6:26 I will tell you that we've already filed
6:28 a complaint on your behalf with TSN workplace safety.
6:31 So, we'll see how that goes.
6:33 Okay.
6:34 I got I got breaking news for you.
6:36 60-day DL with elbow inflammation.
6:39 So, it's all on video.
6:41 They DL for being a diva.
6:45 We'll talk to you guys after game five.
6:47 Perry LeBron aren best suit.
6:49 Thank you.