TAMPA, Fla. – Physically and emotionally spent in charging back from a three games to none series deficit, the Montreal Canadiens had nothing left in the tank for Game 6.
Outshot and outplayed, the Canadiens’ comeback bid and season ended with a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.
The Habs were the last Canadian-based team left in the playoffs. But for the 21st straight season, one will not win the Stanley Cup.
Tampa Bay will face either the New York Rangers or the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference final beginning Saturday. It’s the Lightning’s third trip to the conference final and first since 2011.
A second-round exit for Montreal looked likely after falling behind 3-0, but this team became the first in franchise history to even reach a sixth game. Coach Michel Therrien said Monday he saw an energized group, but instead he got one that was out of gas.
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The Lightning beat and beat up the Habs as big hits by Brenden Morrow and Alex Killorn gave way to goals by Nikita Kucherov (the opener plus an empty-netter), Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. Goaltender Ben Bishop was strong and allowed only a garbage-time goal to Max Pacioretty.
Carey Price made 24 saves to keep the Habs in the game but couldn’t do anything about his teammates’ lack of offence.
“I didn’t play well enough,” Price said.
The Habs finished the season with just three victories in 12 games against the Lightning, whom they swept out of last year’s playoffs.
Sloppy hockey early gave way to Tampa Bay’s first goal 15:35 in. Tomas Plekanec committed a bad turnover in front of his own net, putting the puck right on Ondrej Palat’s stick, and Kucherov had a perfect tip as it went between Price’s glove and the post.
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The goal was Kucherov’s fifth of the series after being held without one in the first round against Detroit, and he added a sixth with the net empty late.
Price stopped Stamkos later in the first to keep the Habs’ deficit at one. But Stamkos made a perfect shot through Jeff Petry and then past Price at 5:12 of the second to make it 2-0 Lightning.
A shot drought of 10 minutes 3 seconds kept Montreal from even swinging back. After an ineffective power play, Tampa Bay made the most of its chance as Palat scored at 18:56 for the third goal of the night.
“You can’t afford to be inconsistent this time of year,” said Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban.
Pacioretty and Gallagher teamed up to break up Bishop’s shutout with 4:57 left in the third period. The goal was Pacioretty’s team-high fifth of the playoffs.
“We weren’t resilient enough,” Pacioretty said.
Kucherov put the puck into the empty net with 2:01 left to restore the three-goal lead and seal the end of the Habs.
Note – The Lightning were without winger Ryan Callahan, who had an emergency appendectomy Monday night. Jonathan Marchessault made his NHL playoff debut in place of Callahan, and Tampa Bay went with 11 forwards and seven defencemen.
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