Canadiens Game Day: 'We all know it was a high stick,' Corey Perry says - Montreal Gazette

Golden Knights make goaltending change with Robin Lehner replacing Marc-André Fleury for Game 4 Sunday night at Bell Centre.

Author of the article:

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:

Jun 20, 2021 • 52 minutes ago • 7 minute read • 26 Comments

The Canadiens’ Corey Perry head to the bench with a bloody nose after taking a high stick from the Vegas Golden Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault during Game 4 of Stanley Cup semifinal series at the Bell Centre. No penalty was called on the play. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

The Canadiens’ Corey Perry isn’t sure how many stitches he took to his nose after getting hit with a high stick from the Vegas Golden Knights’ Jonathan Marchessault during overtime of Game 3 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series Friday night at the Bell Centre.

“A couple … I think six or seven or eight or whatever,” Perry said during a Zoom conference Sunday morning while sporting a huge scar on his nose. “I don’t know. I haven’t dove in and counted.”

Somehow, referees Chris Lee and Dan O’Rourke decided not to call a penalty on the play even though Marchessault’s high stick was obvious and Perry showed his bloody face to the refs after he got up from the ice.

Perry was still in the Canadiens’ locker-room area getting stitched up when Josh Anderson scored at 12:53 of overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“Took the high-stick, went and got stitched up and they were just finishing up when the horn went off and everybody in the doctor’s office jumped and it was fun to be a part of that celebration comeback,” Perry said.

If Marchessault — or Perry, for that matter — had accidentally shot the puck over the glass during overtime it would have been an automatic two-minute penalty. But for some reason Marchessault’s obvious high stick that drew blood wasn’t an automatic four-minute penalty. Hard to understand.

When asked if he got an explanation from the refs as to why no penalty was called on the play, Perry said: “I’ve heard a couple of different things … it was a follow through, it was a puck. They didn’t know for sure. But we all know it was a high stick.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel, the NHL had the same two referees for Games 1 and 2 in Las Vegas and it will be the same situation in Montreal, meaning Lee and O’Rourke will be the refs again for Game 4 between the Canadiens and Golden Knights Sunday night at the Bell Centre (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

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Goalie change for Vegas

Robin Lehner will start in goal for Vegas for Game 4, taking Marc-André Fleury’s spot.

Lehner has only played one game in the playoffs this year, allowing seven goals on 37 shots in a 7-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series. Fleury has a 9-6 record in the playoffs with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, but he made a huge mistake while trying to play the puck behind his net in Game 3 that resulted in Anderson scoring the tying goal with only 1:55 remaining in the third period. The goal was a gift.

When Fleury was asked Saturday what happened on that play, he said: “I don’t know … came out to make a play, help the D out like I do every day, every night. I don’t know … I got to see the replay again. I don’t know if it spins off my stick and my foot. I didn’t have good control of it and lost the puck and when I turned around it was in the net already.

“It’s part of the game … having to talk to you guys and be reminded of my screwups,” the goalie added. “But I’ve been through his before. Obviously, I wish things were different, but it is what it is. Got to put it behind and get ready for next game.”

Perry said Sunday morning that the Canadiens weren’t concerned about who would be in net for Vegas.

“You know what, obviously they’re different styles, but they’re two great goalies,” Perry said. “They’re in this league for a reason, so it really doesn’t matter who’s in net for them. It’s a matter of what we have to do. Yeah, he’s a bigger guy but, at the same time, we just have to keep getting to the net and keep creating the offence that we’ve been doing and get pucks on net.”

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Price the difference

Canadiens goalie Carey Price was the difference in Game 3, stopping 43 of 45 shots, while Fleury allowed three goals on 27 shots.

The Canadiens were outshot 17-3 in the first period and the shots were 30-8 after two periods before the Canadiens outshot Vegas 13-10 in the third period and 6-5 in overtime.

“We were a little slow to start that game in Game 3,” Perry said. “We started to find our legs as the game went on, but first half of that game that’s not how we play. We’re on top of pucks, we’re on top of people, we’re moving the puck quick. So we’ll just get back to that and hopefully have another good start like we did out in Vegas.”

Price now has a 10-4 record in the playoffs with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

“We’ve got an opportunity tonight to win a game and grab control of this series again going home,” DeBoer said Sunday morning. “So I think your playoff mentality always has to be short memory and get ready for the next one. We did a lot of good things last game, didn’t result in a win. Let’s throw that game out there again tonight and I would expect a better result if we can do that.”

After playing the first two games of the series in front of more than 17,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, there were 3,500 at the Bell Centre for Game 3 and it will be the same number for Game 4, the maximum allowed by Quebec health authorities.

“Considering there was 3,500 people in here I thought it was good,” DeBoer said about the Bell Centre crowd. “Obviously, Canada’s behind where we are in the States right now. But another great sign of life that they’re actually letting people in the building and the people in here were pretty noticeably involved in the game. So just from a sheer human perspective it’s nice to see crowds in the buildings over here and hopefully we’ll have the same tonight. It’s not the same as our rink and we’re looking forward to getting back there for Game 5.”

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Ducharme still out with COVID

Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme will miss his second straight game after testing positive for COVID-19 with assistant coach Luke Richardson taking over his responsibilities behind the bench.

“Dom’s done a great job steering the ship since he came in,” Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot said Sunday morning. “He’s passionate about this team. You can only imagine how he feels sitting at home watching us right now at this point of the season. We feel for him and we’re going to work to get the win for him.”

In January, the entire Golden Knights coaching staff was forced into isolation after a member tested positive for COVID-19. DeBoer said Sunday he’s sympathetic to what Ducharme is going through now.

“I’ve been there,” DeBoer said. “Your first thoughts go to making sure that him and his family are healthy because it’s an obviously dangerous virus that can have a large gamut of effect, from nothing to very serious. You hope him and his family are good and healthy. It’s a helpless feeling sitting there. I’ve done it and I wish him the best and I’m glad that’s in my rear-view mirror.”

Ducharme said Sunday morning that he wasn’t suffering from any COVID symptoms.

“I feel good,” he said. “I wish I could be at the rink right now. I don’t feel different than a week ago.”

Canadiens’ PK close to perfect

The Canadiens’ penalty-killers have killed off 25 straight power plays over the last 10 games, including 10 in the first three games against the Golden Knights. The Canadiens’ PK has a league-best 92.7 per cent success rate since the playoffs started.

“I think we’re playing smart in our structure,” Chiarot said about the team’s penalty-killing. “Guys are aggressive up the ice, not getting the D carrying the puck up much time. Kind of breaks up their breakout and then once in zone we’re doing a good job pressuring them and letting Pricey see the puck. We’re just quick in our structure and guys are getting in lanes. Obviously, Pricey comes up with the save when we need it.”

The Golden Knights have a league-worst 10.5 per cent success rate on the power play in the playoffs. The Canadiens’ power play has an 18.9 per cent success rate, including going 1-for-5 in the first three games against Vegas.

The schedule

Here’s the rest of the schedule for this series:

Game 4: Sunday, June 20, at Montreal, 8 p.m.
Game 5: Tuesday, June 22, at Las Vegas, 9 p.m.
x-Game 6: Thursday, June 24, at Montreal, 8 p.m.
x-Game 7: Saturday, June 26, at Las Vegas, 8 p.m.
x-if necessary

scowan@postmedia.com

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