Canadiens-Golden Knights Game 6 score, live updates: Artturi Lehkonen's OT goal sends Montreal to St

[turbinetree]

Source: The Athletic

Complete headline:
Canadiens-Golden Knights Game 6 score, live updates: Artturi Lehkonen's OT goal sends Montreal to Stanley Cup Final

June 24, 2021 at 11:18 PM EDT



The Montreal Canadiens will play for the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1993. Artturi Lehkonen's goal 1:39 into overtime ended Game 6 and gave the Canadiens a 3-2 victory

Montreal advanced to face either Tampa Bay or the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final.

Follow along as The Athletic's Ian Mendes and Rich Hammond provided instant analysis as the action unfolded in Game 6 of this semifinal series.

Read more: https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-live-game-6-reaction-and-analysis-of-vegas-golden-knights-vs-montreal-canadiens/NXt9bhvIVq29

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Congratulations to the "HAB'S"

One of the original six teams of Hockey...

[Bleacher Creature]

1. OK, dumb question.

Why are Montreal and Vegas playing in the semifinals? Aren't they in different conferences?

[rpannier]

3. The NHL adjusted the divisions this year

With the more rigid restrictions imposed by the Canadian gov't the NHL re-divided the divisions
All the Canadian based teams were 1 division
There were no conferences this season

[Bleacher Creature]

4. Ahh, thanks.

That makes sense. Thanks again!

[George II]

9. When Montreal made it to the finals, the government of Canada waives some of the travel....

...restrictions so they could play against an American team in the US. Last year the entire playoffs were played in two cities in Canada.

Now let's hope the finals open up on Long Island next week! It would be fitting - the team with the longest winning streak in history (Montreal, five straight) against the American team with the longest winning streak (Islanders, four straight)

[bahboo]

2. good for them....

HATED them back in the day....Blackhawks fan here....but will always pull for an Original Six team...

[KPN]

5. I still do! Bruins fan since the early 60s. A lot

of losses to the Habs in big games over those years.

[turbinetree]

23. Blackhawks all the way been a fan for over 60 years

To think that Mitka and Hull in some ways designed the sticks that players use to day

[tenderfoot]

6. Canadiens fans flip cars in response

Link to tweet

[Dr. Strange]

13. More Canadians breaking cars...

[tenderfoot]

15. Those guys are Americans from Minnesota

eom

[Dr. Strange]

24. I think Canada kidnapped them...

and gave us Justin Bieber in return.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. I no longer follow much hockey

I catch the 9 minute game highlight reels ... oh, they're videos today.

Are the playoffs in actual home arenas now, not still on lockdown, are we?

Isles giving TB a run for their money. Do the Isles play in a real building now, or still a 3/4 basketball court with obstructed sightlines?

Hope it's Isles-Habs. FL doesn't need the money, the travel will be less.

Are there North American players still, or just Russians?

[CabbageAndBeans]

8. NA players make up about 70% of the league.

Last I looked, Russians make up about 6%.

[George II]

10. All the playoffs (and regular season games) were played in home arenas this year. The Islanders....

...played some games at the Nassau Coliseum this year, and all of their playoffs there as well. The Barkley's Center is a horrible arena for hockey.

It would be great to see them win one more SC in the Coliseum. This is the last year there - a new arena has been built right next to Belmont Park racetrack near the LIRR station.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Named for Auguste Belmont

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Belmont

US banker, Democratic politician, agent of Rothschild banking interests in the US, opportunist of the Panic of 1837, namesake of the Belmont Stakes.

Filed under little known fact that slip by unnoticed.

[George II]

14. The arena is built in the parking lot where I used to park the most - closest to the admission gate.

[Danmel]

18. Islanders are back at the Nassau Coliseum

For the remainder of this season.

In the fall they move into a new arena at Belmont. No longer at Barclay's in Brooklyn.

[AZ8theist]

12. fuck the Montreal Toilet seats....

[tenderfoot]

17. Just for that, I hope they win

For Carey Price

[Mysterian]

16. I wonder why Vegas went with Lehner and not Fleury

It seems Lehner played well but you have to wonder what if.

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. In hindsight it seems like a mistake to not just stick with one goalie.

At least after Fleury lost in game 4, and they switched to Lehner. I think going back and forth is not a good head space for a goaltender to be in. They need to know they are the #1 to get into a groove. They should not have gone back to Fleury in game 5 after Lehner had won game 4. Just stuck with Lehner.

[LiberalLovinLug]

19. Go Habs!

So glad they beat the Vegas Golden Knights. Who were an Insta-team created 4 years ago in a grossly advantageous arrangement to pilfer some of the best players from other teams in the NHL's lust to get Los Vegas in as part of the league. Teams would also bribe them with 1st rounders to not take certain players as well. Lots of backroom shenanigans. They went to the Final in their first freakin year. No suffering for them. Not like my team! So screw em.

Big game 7 tonight with the other conference to decide who the Canadiens play.

[BobTheSubgenius]

21. Soooo....kinda like the deal Montreal used to have.

Their normal pick in the draft rotation, plus the top 3 prospects from the Quebec league.

[LiberalLovinLug]

25. Ha...you are right

I can understand the reasoning back then. French Canadians, or Canadiens, many couldn't speak English, and all had such a strong cultural attachment to Quebec. With only six teams, so what if they got dibs on Quebec born players? There was all of NA and Europe to glean other players.

But so many great players came out of Quebec in those days that it turned out to be a huuuuuge advantage. Their Cup runs proved that.

Still.....in Bettmans greed to temp Las Vegas to adopt the NHL as its first major league sports team, the pot was sweetened to the point of can't lose. Other teams only could protect 11 players. Down from 2000 when the Blue Jackets and the Wild came in, and it was 15. Even 4 players more taken off the protected list is a huge advantage. And the rules were so loose that those kinds of backroom deals to protect certain players was allowed. It wasn't a few more Quebec born prospects every year advantage, it was gleaning players from 30 other teams, or what they could extort for not taking the preferred one. Guaranteed draft position for years.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl-hands-knights-a-golden-opportunity-402569645.html

On top of that, the Knights will also get an exclusive head start on NHL free agency next summer and a very favourable draft position — the Knights will draft no worse than sixth overall and have the same chance at the first overall pick next summer as the third worst team in the league this season. Plus, the Knights are guaranteed the third pick in every draft round after the first.

I'm just a bitter Canucks fan. Don't mind me. A team that has struggled to win the Cup since 1970. Been to the Final round 3 times, but never won. If we have to suffer for 50 years, not reaching that first SCF until the 80's, surely Vegas fans should suffer at least for a few years.

[BobTheSubgenius]

26. Truthfully, I wasn't fully aware of the LV deal, and while I vaguely knew it was favourable,

I lived in Vancouver from 56 to 79, and suffered along with all Canucks fans. Even one of those SC appearances wasn't THAT legit - "King Richard" stood on his head throughout the playoffs and carried the team. Truthfully, though, I wasn't fully aware of the extent of LV's deal. Hard to not be at the very least respectable with a start like that.

And when you compare the cast-offs with whom the Canucks had to make do with LV? Ridiculous. Many of them were legit NHLers, but at the end of their careers. Kurtenbach, Schmautz, Balon...none of them real stars in their best year, although Schmautz did have one beauty while in Boston. And they never had a truly great draft year, until maybe the Sedins.

Thing of it is, though....I don't care about sports any more, although I'll look in on the NFL once in a while. With rare exceptions, the NHL became "dump it in the corner and chase it," which is boring as hell unless you have guys that can bash the other team into submission while doing it. And even that gets old.

I even remember the moment that tore it for me, back in the very early 80s. The NBA draft was a few weeks in the past - not a sport I ever cared about at all - and whoever had drafted this prima donna #4 overall couldn't sign him. He'd never played a single minute as a pro, but couldn't possibly play for the insulting $13,000,000 they were offering.

Whining, entitled, 20-something multi-millionaires. F 'em.

PS...I'm sure you know the story about Montreal buying an entire league to own the rights to Beliveau? There's no exact parallel, of course, but imagine if, say, Tampa could take part in the draft as always, except that they owned the SEC and had their pick of any and all players that came from it. Plus, they could use it as a development league. I bet the word "dynasty" would take on a whole new meaning.

[LiberalLovinLug]

27. Interesting stuff!

And you know of our (Vancouver Canucks fans) long time suffering. And what we had to start out with. And now we will have the Seattle Kracken next door with all the startup benefits that Vegas had

I've never gotten into many other sports teams. Our local BC Lions CFL football team I follow. The Whitecaps soccer team, when they are playing well. Seattle Seahawks ditto. That's about it. The only team I am rabid about is the Canucks. And I did not like watching any sports growing up. Hated how my dad took over the old BW TV on Saturday night to watch his Hockey Night in Canada. But in my twenties already, a player named Pavel Bure was drafted onto the team around '92. You may have heard of him. I was hooked after that.

I've not seen a big shift to dump n chase hockey, maybe I'm just not noticing. Some teams, who are sparse in star offensive players will use it more than teams that do. I agree its not as entertaining as watching a player dipsy doodle through the defense, but if the other team is maybe ahead by a couple goals, they may just sit back on their blueline, and dumping it in past them is the only option.

But anyways, that's one reason to watch this season's SCF. Two of the most offence forward teams. Smaller finesse players. But also with talented large puck moving defencemen.

Its not true the rest of Canada is not cheering for them. There's usually a connection, if not the country they represent, players, coaches on that team. For me, first and foremost is I'm cheering for Alex Burrows to win a Cup, as a coach. After he gave his all for the Canucks during his hockey career, and was on the 2011 team that lost to Boston in the SCF.

Secondary, it would be for the boys who were born or brought up in BC. Price, Weber, and Gallagher.

As far as wages. Yeah its grossly unfair, and more than one athlete lets it get into his head. But on the other hand, that's what the market will pay the best 800 or so best hockey players on the planet. What are you gonna do?

Olympic hockey is great too. Even less of that dump n chase. Only the best from all countries. Of course a Canadian likes it based on our record.

[BobTheSubgenius]

28. I'd forgotten about Bure while I was writing that post.

That kid could do everything - take passes, even out of his skates...pass...stickhandle....shoot....all at BLAZING speed. He might have been the best skater in the league in his day. The vast majority couldn't touch his skating ability, and no one could do the things he could do while getting from his own zone into the attacking zone in under 2 seconds. A phenom.

You may be right about the current style in the NHL. I haven't watched a game in years. That was what was going on in the 70s and early 80s. I wouldn't know after that.

One...not exactly a pet peeve, but I'll call it that. Those who used to moan about how poor the quality was after expansion. Well, duh. Concentrate the very best players onto 6 teams, where their worst players are going to be the best on the expansion teams, you're bound to see a difference.

Imagine how good the 6-team NFL would be. WAY fewer mismatches. Every position on every team would be at or near Pro Bowl caliber.

[BobTheSubgenius]

22. I heard this announcement on the radio while I was driving around earlier.

The announcer said that Habs fans are celebrating, but hockey fans all across Canada are sad.