Journaliste: Martin St-Louis said the Canadiens’ series will look much more like Game 2 than Montreal’s 6-2 win in Game 1 after the loss in Raleigh. The Canadiens’ head coach made that point in a short media availability, where he described a harder game and a narrower path for Montreal.
Raleigh and Game 2
St-Louis did not dress up the result. “Ça va être dur, ils ont eu de très bons bâtons et notre exécution n’était pas aussi bonne, mais pas mauvaise. Ç’a été une bonne bataille.” He said the Canadiens’ execution fell short mostly on offense, even though he was not unhappy with the overall game.
He also said Montreal had space available but missed its execution and could not get its defensemen into the rush. That left the Canadiens pressing without the same clean entry they had in Game 1, when Montreal beat the Hurricanes 6-2.
Montreal’s third period
St-Louis pointed to the third period as the stretch where Montreal looked most organized. “Nous avons mieux exécuté. On avait plus d’espace devant nous sur la glace.” Montreal tied the game in the third period, and St-Louis said the Canadiens’ better execution gave them more room on the ice.
The numbers from Game 2 matched his description. The Hurricanes outshot the Canadiens 26 to 12 and delivered 46 hits while Montreal had 16. In the third period, Montreal attempted 20 shots and the Hurricanes attempted 23, a tighter frame that still ended with the Canadiens chasing the game rather than controlling it.
Canadiens and Hurricanes
St-Louis said Montreal defended well and worked hard. “On s’est bien défendus, on a travaillé fort. J’ai aimé comment on s’est comportés.” He added, “On ne leur a pas donné grand-chose.” The friction for Montreal is not effort; it is execution against a Hurricanes team that forced the Canadiens into a game with fewer clean looks and more contact.
That leaves the Canadiens preparing for a series St-Louis now expects to resemble Game 2 more than Game 1. The coach’s read on Raleigh also gives Montreal a clear task: create more space, turn better defensive work into offense, and make the first game’s 6-2 score look like the exception rather than the standard.
