Canadiens 1, Jets 0 (Canadiens lead series 2-0)
Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette
Canadiens’ Carey Price makes a save off Andrew Copp of the Jets in Game 2 of the second round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday, June 4, 2021, at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.Photo by Jason Halstead /Getty Images
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The anticipated goaltending duel between Vézina Trophy winners Carey Price and Connor Hellebuyck materialized Friday as the Canadiens defeated the Winnipeg Jets 1-0 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven North Division final.
Price, who won the Vézina Trophy as the leagues best goaltender in 2015, made 30 saves for his eighth playoff shutout. It was the fifth consecutive win for Price and the Canadiens.
Hellebuyck, who won the Vézina last season, made 23 saves, losing his shutout when Tyler Toffoli scored a shorthanded goal in the second period.
The series moves to Montreal for back-to-back games at the Bell Centre on Sunday and Monday.
Toffolis goal came on a 2-on-1 break with Artturi Lehkonen, who started the sequence when he blocked a shot by Kyle Connor. Shea Weber sent Toffoli off on the rush and Lehkonen went to the net and distracted Hellebuyck as Toffoli wound up from 25 feet out.
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It was the second shorthanded goal for the Canadiens, who have scored first in each of their six road games in this years playoffs.
Scoring chances were scarce as the defences dominated the first period.
Corey Perry had the best scoring chance for the Canadiens midway through the period when Joel Armia set him up in front of the net, but Hellebuyck made two saves.
The Jets had a 2-on-1 break late in the period with Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois, but when Connor tried to create some room with a toe drag, Ben Chiarot broke up the play with a sprawling poke check.
Each team had to make a lineup change in the wake of Mark Scheifeles hit on Jake Evans in Game 1. Evans is out indefinitely with a concussion and his place on the Canadiens shutdown line was filled by Lehkonen, who had missed five games with an undisclosed injury.
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Scheifele was serving the first game of a four-game suspension and his absence opened an opportunity for Jansen Harkins. It also gave Dubois a chance to play centre on the Jets top line with Connor and Blake Wheeler.
Scheifele spoke for the first time since the incident Friday morning and said he didnt agree with the length of the suspension, but he had no plans to appeal the ruling.
He defended his actions and insisted he was trying to prevent Evans from scoring, even though the puck was in the net when he ran over the Montreal rookie.
Having a guy hurt is what no one wants in this league, no one wants in this world, Scheifele said. Obviously, the league made their decision, I dont agree with it.
I keep on going back to my record, Scheifele added. I think Ive had 12 penalty minutes this year. Ive had one boarding penalty in my entire 600-game career, I havent had a charging penalty. I dont think Ive had more than 20 frickin hits a year. So my intention is not to injure or to make a hit, but to prevent a goal.
The Jets also called on former Canadien Jordie Benn on defence. He replaced Dylan DeMelo, who suffered a lower-body injury on his first shift in Game 1. The Jets said DeMelo is expected to be out for a week.
phickey@postmedia.com
twitter.com/zababes1
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