Game 1 of the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators is underway, and it looks like it might be a closer contest than the two Eastern Conference blowouts on Wednesday night.
Senators vs. Canadiens Game 1 Update: Erik Karlsson gives Ottawa the lead
Erik Karlsson gave the Senators their first lead of the series with just minutes to go in the opening period.
Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson, considered a Vezina favorite early in the season before missing time with an injury, helped the Senators withstand early pressure from the Canadiens as Montreal had the lead in shots 8-4 at the midway mark of the opening frame.
Brandon Prust took the game's first penalty after he boarded Zack Smith at 11:10 of the period, but the Senators failed to convert on the power play.
The game remained scoreless until 17:25, when Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson tipped a shot from Kyle Turris to put the Senators up by one.
It was Karlsson’s third career playoff goal and his first goal since returning from the Achilles injury that caused him to miss much of the stretch run in the regular season.
The period ended with the Senators leading by one, but the Canadiens are leading in shots, 14-12.
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