Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens, Game 4 (preview)
Flyers lead series 2-1
Live on NBC at 3PM ET
Let there be no doubt which team needed to win Game 3 more in this Flyers-Canadiens series. Shots on goal advantages may not always tell the story - after all, Montreal went into that game 0-8 when they out-shot their opponents, one of those stats that slaps logic in the face. Still, though, you can read a least a little bit into the fact that Philadelphia was behind 28 shots to 13 before Dominic Moore essentially clinched the game with a 3-0 goal with 8:27 left in the second period.
Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Cammalleri, left, sends a shot past Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michael Leighton as Flyers Matt Carle, right, looks on during the first period of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Eastern Conference finals Thursday, May 20, 2010, in Montreal. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)
AP
Could it be that the Montreal Canadiens got back its swagger? It certainly must have been a breath of fresh air to see their goal scoring machine Michael Cammalleri make yet another heads-up play in bumping a Flyers defenseman to clear space for the opening goal. His 13 goals in 17 playoff games is a staggering number. It’s the kind of output left to the Habs of yore.
The question must be: will one of these two goalies steal the show in Game 4? Jaroslav Halak is - no doubt - a difference maker in this year’s playoffs but didn’t have to do as much as usual to claim his first win of the series. Michael Leighton already has two shutouts to his credit, but after allowing five goals in Game 3, he’ll get a visit from the “What have you done for me lately?” mob if he lets in several goals again.
No doubt about it, this game is immensely important for both teams. While the Canadiens fought back from a 3-1 deficit against the Capitals, it’s hard to imagine that they really want to put that much pressure on themselves round after round. For Philadelphia, a win would give them a much-needed margin for error.
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