Canadiens go for sweep of Senators
Montreal leads best-of-7 series 3-0
Although they've rallied to win each of the first three games, the Montreal Canadiens believe they'll need to get off to a more inspired start in order to put away the desperate Ottawa Senators.
The Canadiens will try to advance out of the first round for the second straight post-season Wednesday night when they look to sweep the host Senators (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).
Montreal has fallen behind 1-0 after one period in all three games only to turn things around and outscore Ottawa 9-4 the rest of the way.
Dale Weise scored the tying goal with 5:47 left in regulation Sunday before adding another in overtime for a 2-1 road win. The right wing has stepped up with five goals and four assists in 19 playoff games over the past two seasons after posting just 45 points in 140 regular-season contests.
"I don't know if you can call me [clutch] yet,'' he said. ''I thought I had some good chances early in the series and just couldn't put them in — a couple of 2-on-1s and hit posts. I don't know what it is, just every game gets so intense, you're so focused.''
Brian Flynn, Torrey Mitchell and P.K. Subban have contributed a goal and two assists apiece in the series for the Canadiens, who are looking to make another deep run after reaching the conference final a year ago.
Sens know comebacks
Montreal hasn't lost in 35 all-time series when it has gone up 3-0, while the Senators hope to become the fifth team to come all the way back from such a deficit. Los Angeles did it last year on the way to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens, however, realize the come-from-behind trend that has served them well in the series might not work again against an Ottawa team that has played its best with its back against the wall. The Senators were 14 points out of a playoff spot before going on a 23-4-4 run that earned them the first wild-card berth.
"We want to score first for the first time in this series," Mitchell told the team's official website. "We're expecting them to come out strong, and we need to play a better first period. The fourth game is always the most difficult to win."
Clarke MacArthur has given the Senators the early lead in each of the past two games, while Mark Stone — playing through a microfracture in his wrist — has three assists in the series and two goals and eight points over his last six meetings.
"We still haven't found a way to win a game and that's what we have to do now," captain Erik Karlsson, who has three goals and six assists in his last six games versus Montreal, told the team's official website. "It's do-or-die and we only focus on Wednesday."
Anderson to start in net for Sens
Montreal's Carey Price has allowed three goals on 65 shots over games 2 and 3 after giving up three on 33 in the opener.
Defenceman Nathan Beaulieu will miss the rest of the series with an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Karlsson on Sunday, while right wing P.A. Parenteau has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury.
Craig Anderson will get a second straight start for the Senators, coach Dave Cameron confirmed.
Anderson stopped 47 shots in Game 3. Andrew Hammond lost a pair of one-goal games in Montreal after going 20-1-2 with a 1.73 goals-against average in the final two months.