The Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from a three goal deficit on Friday, to force overtime, but Nick Suzuki potted the game-winner for the Montreal Canadiens for a 4-3 win, to 
extend their series to six games.
Suzuki scored with 59 seconds gone on the fresh overtime ice.
The game-winner came on a break down by the Maple Leafs who permitted a 2-on-0 breakaway.
“Sometimes those 2-on-0s are a little bit more difficult,” Suzuki said. “Some guys are hesitant to shoot, but we were just confident to make the play and I was lucky enough to score. I don’t know, I think we are both capable of scoring. I just felt like I had a good lane to the net on my one-timer side, so it was just a great play by him to touch it right back to me.”
Carey Price made 32 saves to earn the win.
“[We showed] resiliency, something that is not easy to have the right mentality going into an overtime like that after giving up a two-goal lead in the third,” Price said. “But I thought our group was calm and composed in the locker room after [the third period]. We came here to win this game, and I thought overall our game was pretty solid. We got rewarded tonight.”
Joel Armia scored twice for the Habs to give them a 2-0 lead in the first period.
“I think to be honest, the fans will deserve that game big time,” Montreal’s Phillip Danault said. “It’s going to be crazy there, it’s going to be awesome and I can’t wait to be in front of our fans.
“We’ve been waiting for that all year and here we are, Game 6 against Toronto Saturday night at home. It can’t get any better than that.”
Game 6 is set for Montreal on Saturday where the Quebec provincial government is permitting 2,500 fans to attend the game.
Zach Hyman started the three-goal rally with a goal in the middle frame to make it 3-1 for Montreal.
Jake Muzzin scored twice in the third period to get the game to extra time.
“They were desperate and they won every battle and we weren’t ready for it,” Muzzin said. “We battled back, but not enough.”
Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for Montreal in the second period to give them a 3-0 lead.
“I think everybody knew what the overall message should have been (after the third),” Price said. “I don’t think anybody needed to say anything. Our coach came in and gave us a few words, but you look around the room and everybody knew what was at stake.”
Jack Campbell made 26 saves in the loss.
“It’s tough to close a team out,” Campbell said. “They came out hard. I thought we played well enough to win the game; I just can’t give up three in regulation. I have to be better, and I will be. I just have to make the save on that 2-on-0. I was a little aggressive, so I’ll learn from it.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.