Thursday night’s game began without much to cheer for. Stefan Noesen’s goal a mere 1:21 into the game set the tone for a familiar feeling of despair. The Devils overwhelmed Montreal in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Andrew Shaw helped regain some of the lost momentum with a very impressive tip-in of a Jordie Benn bomb, but after allowing a five-on-three power play, the Habs gave up the game’s control to New Jersey. It wasn’t until roughly the same early point of the third that the Canadiens began generating more offensive chances.