In a lot of ways, Game 5 on Wednesday night was a defining game for the Montreal Canadiens. They faced a challenge of their own making when Jesperi Kotkaniemi was ejected, they faced adversity when they fell behind on the scoreboard, and they were dealt a blow when their heart-and-soul player, Brendan Gallagher, had his jaw broken by Matt Niskanen. They pulled out a strong 5-3 win to keep their surprising playoff run alive, and they would need another defining experience in Game 6 to keep that drive going.
Obviously the team was without Brendan Gallagher for the remainder of the series, and it’s not an easy task to step up and fill his skates.