Road warrior Canadiens strike again: Grades from M...

Opening a conference finals series with a four-goal first period is going to grab attention. That early explosion also allowed the Montreal Canadiens to grab a 6-2 win Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. But what made the Canadiens' series-opening victory rather stunning was how they did more in one game than what most teams have achieved over an entire series against the Hurricanes. Here's how it all played out, and what it means for Game 2 of this series and beyond. Simply put, this was the worst performance the Hurricanes have had this postseason. What began with them taking a 1-0 lead within the first minute turned into them allowing four straight goals to end the frame. Allowing that many goals was already damning, because Carolina gave up just five goals total in their first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators, and the same amount in the second-round sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. But even the way the Hurricanes tried to climb out of that hole came with its fair share of challenges. The Hurricanes had the kind of possession a team would want in an attempt to force its way back even. They finished with a 61.9% shot-share in 5-on-5 play, according to Natural Stat Trick. But the 25 saves that Jakub Dobes made -- along with the 30 blocks he received via his teammates -- only added to the Hurricanes' frustrations. One of the items that allowed the Canadiens to reach the conference finals is how they've performed without having the puck. The Canadiens entered this series with a 45.6% shot-share -- the lowest of the four teams remaining. That means they've had to get comfortable facing teams that are going to control the puck, which only enhances that need for them to be efficient whenever they do have it. That's what made everything about Juraj Slafkovsky's third-period goal the embodiment of that approach. Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle waited for a passing lane to present itself. He found Nick Suzuki in the neutral zone, before the Canadiens' captain played a perfect pass to Slafkovsky, allowing him to pull off a toe drag to create more space before pushing it to a 5-2 advantage. No goaltender had a better save percentage or goals-saved above average than Andersen going into the conference finals round. That's what made his allowing four goals in the opening frame -- as part of an evening that saw him allow five goals total -- rather jarring. It's possible that his Game 1 performance could be viewed as a blemish in what's otherwise been one of the best postseason campaigns that any player's had to this point. It certainly didn't help that Carolina's defensive structure allowed 12 high-danger scoring chances, with eight of them coming in that first period. There's no shortage of options to choose from, because the Canadiens had quite a few players who were vital to their Game 1 win. But Danault gets the nod because of just how crucial he was in the Canadiens' overall approach. Yes, he scored the go-ahead goal in the first period and then set up what proved to be the game-winning goal later in the frame. Danault was also active in the defensive zone by blocking four shots -- the most of any Canadiens forward -- while also logging three hits. Getting that sort of two-way performance was instrumental against a Canes team that hogged the puck. Replicating that effort throughout the series could make him one of their most valuable players -- and crucial if they're going to advance. It could come back to one of two things for the Hurricanes. Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now One of the answers to the above question is whether they can figure out a way to translate their puck possession into goals. The fact that the Canadiens had more blocked shots than Dobes had saves will create a conversation about what the Hurricanes must do to get more shots in areas that can reach Dobes -- rather than one of his teammates. The second answer could center around receiving more continuity in net from Andersen, while also finding a way to limit high-danger scoring chances. Here's the thing about scoring six goals against a team that had only allowed a grand total of 10 through the first two rounds. Perhaps it presents the reality that the Canadiens found a successful blueprint to beat the Canes, considering how they found ways to generate more high-danger scoring chances despite having considerably less possession. As we saw in previous series, Montreal can be opportunistic, taking full advantages of opponents' mistakes. Or, it could be that this is just one performance over the entirety of a series in which goals might eventually be at a premium.

Road warrior Canadiens strike again: Grades from M...

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