The Montreal Canadiens faced the difficult task of needing to win the final four games of the regular season — all against seeded playoff teams — just to give themselves a chance at making the post-season. The first of those opponents was a Winnipeg Jets squad perched atop the Central Division.
Other than a brief flurry of activity from the Jets, the Canadiens were largely in control of the opening period. As they had done in the previous game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, they kept the home team’s shot count static for over 10 minutes of play in the opening frame as they piled up shots and chances on offence.