Fans hopeful after Canadiens beat Tampa Bay in game five of Stanley Cup final series
by Jacob Serebrin, The Canadian Press
Posted Jul 6, 2021 1:02 am EDT
Last Updated Jul 6, 2021 at 5:55 am EDT
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL Canadiens fans celebrating the team’s
In addition to the usual cheers, fans outside Montreal’s Bell Centre arena had a new one on Monday night, “Habs in seven!”
The Canadiens now trail the Lightning 3-1 in the team’s first appearance in the final since 1993 the same year Montreal won its last Stanley Cup.
Many fans watching the game at an outdoor viewing event in Montreal’s Place des Festivals, as well as those outside the Bell Centre arena, where large crowds have gathered during previous playoff games, say they’ve never lost faith.
Canadiens, Lightning heading to OT in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to overtime in Game 4 tied 2-2. The teams traded third period markers forcing the game into sudden death.
TSN.ca Staff Jake Evans Brayden Point , The Canadian Press
The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to overtime in Game 4 tied 2-2.
The teams traded third period markers forcing the game into sudden death.
Alexander Romanov restored the Canadiens’ lead at the 8:48 mark of the third when his shot from the point found its way through the crowd and beat Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Lightning came out looking determined to end things at the start of the game, getting the first eight shots on goal and outshooting the Canadiens 12-5 in the first period. It was the Habs, however, who took a 1-0 lead into the intermission thanks to Anderson as well as Carey Price.
Barclay Goodrow responded for Tampa Bay late in the second period to tie the game. Alexander Romanov put Montreal back on top in the third, only for Patrick Maroon to even things up again.
Shea Weber took a double-minor penalty for a high stick on Ondrej Palat that drew blood with just over a minute to go in the third, giving the Bolts a four-minute power play that carried over into overtime.
Goodrow pulls Lightning even with Canadiens after second period of Game 4
Barclay Goodrow snapped a puck home late in the second period to pull the Tampa Bay Lightning even with the Montreal Canadiens 1-1 after 40 minutes of Game 4.
TSN.ca Staff Tampa Bay Lightning Barclay Goodrow celebrates , The Canadian Press
Barclay Goodrow snapped a puck home late in the second period to pull the Tampa Bay Lightning even with the Montreal Canadiens 1-1 after 40 minutes of Game 4.
Ryan McDonagh kept the puck alive at the blueline and then after charging to the net, found Goodrow with a backhand pass off a feed from Blake Coleman for the tying marker.
MONTREAL For a fanbase that was forced to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning hoist the Stanley Cup in a pandemic bubble several thousand kilometres away from home last year, this could be a shot at a do-over.
When Montreal’s Josh Anderson scored in overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 win in Game 4 Monday and avoid a sweep – a glimmer of hope in the Stanley Cup final for the sport’s most decorated franchise – it meant hockey’s holy grail would be headed to Tampa for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Ten months after Tampa defeated the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, Lightning fans have a chance to celebrate again, but this time in the same building as their hockey heroes.