The Montreal Canadiens scored two late goals to earn a 2-1 overtime win in Game 3 and put the Ottawa Senators in a deep 3-0 series hole.
Dale Weise leads Canadiens to 2-1 overtime victory in Game 3
The only guy who could beat Craig Anderson was a fourth liner.
Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Montreal struggled for most of the game to solve Senators goalie Craig Anderson, who got the nod over Andrew Hammond. Ottawa coach Dave Cameron's decision to start the veteran mostly paid off, as Anderson had a shutout going for the better part of three periods.
The Senators were also led by captain Erik Karlsson, who set the tone early in the first period with nine hits. He also earned a secondary assist on Clarke MacArthur's goal at 11:28, giving the Senators a lead that would last through most of the third period.
But Cameron ended up making a mistake in the third that cost his team the lead. When the Senators coach left his fourth line and third defensive pairing on the ice on an offensive zone faceoff, the Canadiens gained possession and charged down the ice to tie the game.
The guy who tied it? Fourth-liner Dale Weise, who then went on to score the game-winning goal in overtime. Karlsson and Anderson's performances were all for naught, as the Senators now face a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 hole.
3 Things We Learned
1. Erik Karlsson brought his physical game.
You don't usually associate the Senators captain with big hits and an intimidating presence, but after the first period of Game 3 you probably couldn't help yourself. Karlsson finished the first two periods with ten hits, including this wallop on Nathan Beaulieu.
2. Craig Anderson should be the way forward for Ottawa.
As meteoric as Andrew Hammond's rise in net was, there's no denying his first two playoff games were less than stellar. Senators coach Dave Cameron decided to go with the veteran Anderson in Game 3, and it paid off in spades. Anderson was a rock in net, pitching a shutout well into the third period. Even though he ultimately lost the game, Anderson should get a chance to help the Senators stave off elimination in Game 4.
3. Montreal needs to bury their chances.
All of those shots against Anderson have to be generated first, right? Montreal created plenty of scoring chances and even had Anderson beat many times but either shot the puck wide, fanned on the shot or simply shot it into his pads. Failing to take advantage offensively just wastes the fact they have Carey Price in their net. Luckily for the Habs, they were able to finally make the most of their shots at the end. If they can keep that going from the get-go in Game 4, they might book an early ticket to the second round.
See More:
