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Game Recap
MTL2
Final/OTSat, May 23, 2026PlayoffsEvery game that night
CAR3

CAR beat MTL 3-2 in overtime, and the chances backed it up: 2.69 expected goals to 1.66. CAR outshot MTL 26 to 12. N. Ehlers led the way with 2 points (2 G, 0 A). F. Andersen stopped 10 of 12.

Scoring

1st2nd3rdOTT
MTL10102
CAR11013
  1. 1st 2:33CARE. Robinson0.07 xG
  2. 1st 11:11MTLJ. Anderson0.26 xG
  3. 2nd 17:03CARN. Ehlers0.18 xG
  4. 3rd 12:51MTLJ. Anderson0.05 xG
  5. OT 3:29CARN. Ehlers0.09 xG

Team Stats

MTLCAR
12Shots on goal26
1.66Expected goals2.69
38Shot attempts67
125v5 shots on goal21
0/2Power play0/3
16Hits46
19Blocked shots20
4Penalty minutes4
16Giveaways20
4Takeaways7

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked shot had of going in, by our model, added up.

Expected Goals Over the Game

MTL 1.66 xGCAR 2.69 xGGoal

00.511.522.531st2nd3rdOTCAR goal, 2:33MTL goal, 11:11CAR goal, 17:03MTL goal, 12:51CAR goal, 3:29

Each step up is a shot: how likely it was to go in. A team well above the other had the better chances, whatever the score.

Shot Map

MTL12 on goal, 2 scored
CAR25 on goal, 3 scored

GoalSavedMissedBlockedBigger: a better chance

Box Score

MTL Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
P. DanaultC022022+2014:330:06
J. AndersonRW202201+2014:330:06
J. EvansC000101+1019:470:06
N. SuzukiC000230-1019:452:45
A. NewhookC0001000019:150:45
J. SlafkovskýLW000101-1018:512:49
C. CaufieldRW000100-1017:532:46
I. DemidovRW0001000015:422:30
A. TexierLW000121+1213:010:49
Z. BolducRW000010-2012:530:43
K. DachC000001-2011:220:48
O. KapanenC000000-2010:010:00
A. CarrierD011124+2022:140:06
K. GuhleD011000+2019:230:06
L. HutsonD000013-1024:522:54
N. DobsonD000011-2024:340:56
M. MathesonD000113-2020:500:00
J. StrubleD000031-1211:560:05
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
J. Dobes26233.88563:29Loss
J. Fowler000–0:00

CAR Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
N. EhlersLW202520+2018:393:08
M. JankowskiLW022110+1012:080:00
E. RobinsonLW101210+2010:120:00
W. CarrierLW011041+109:390:00
S. AhoC000250-1020:354:42
S. JarvisC000421-1020:294:36
A. SvechnikovRW000361-1217:574:32
J. BlakeRW000005-1017:321:06
J. StaalC0000101+2016:392:14
L. StankovenC000120-1216:111:02
J. MartinookLW000211+1016:100:00
T. HallLW000120-1015:331:08
J. ChatfieldD022212+3023:220:00
J. SlavinD011011+3022:210:00
K. MillerD000060-1023:051:14
S. WalkerD000113-1020:320:12
S. GostisbehereD000102-1018:454:26
A. NikishinD000112-1013:360:00
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
F. Andersen12102.83363:29Win
B. Bussi000–0:00

Lines at 5-on-5

MTL

Line 2J. Evans15:12A. Newhook14:01I. Demidov13:12
Line 3P. Danault13:15J. Anderson13:17A. Texier12:12
Line 4Z. Bolduc12:10K. Dach10:34O. Kapanen10:01
Pair 1A. Carrier17:21K. Guhle18:05
Pair 2M. Matheson16:21N. Dobson22:28
Pair 3L. Hutson21:38J. Struble11:51

CAR

Line 1J. Blake16:20L. Stankoven15:09T. Hall14:19
Line 2S. Aho14:25S. Jarvis14:09A. Svechnikov13:25
Line 3J. Martinook14:10N. Ehlers15:31J. Staal12:33
Pair 1J. Slavin20:15J. Chatfield21:17
Pair 2K. Miller20:02S. Walker18:32

From the NHL's shift charts: the players on the ice together most at 5-on-5, with each one's own 5-on-5 time.

How We Did

We projectedIt finished
ScoreMTL 2.8, CAR 3.5MTL 2, CAR 3
Total goals6.35
Shots on goalMTL 22.1, CAR 32.8MTL 12, CAR 26
Win chanceCAR 62%CAR won

Players

PlayerSOG projectedSOGPoints projectedPointsGoal chanceGoals
CAR S. Jarvis2.940.84032%0
CAR N. Ehlers2.750.89230%2
MTL C. Caufield2.610.78032%0
CAR S. Aho2.520.93033%0
CAR A. Svechnikov2.530.75028%0
CAR L. Stankoven2.410.56024%0
CAR J. Blake2.300.65024%0
MTL J. Slafkovský2.110.72024%0
CAR S. Walker2.110.3409%0
CAR T. Hall2.110.66022%0
MTL N. Suzuki2.020.98027%0
CAR S. Gostisbehere1.910.64013%0
CAR J. Slavin1.700.3117%0
MTL I. Demidov1.610.65019%0
MTL N. Dobson1.600.4309%0
MTL A. Newhook1.610.48020%0
CAR J. Martinook1.620.40016%0
CAR K. Miller1.600.47010%0
CAR J. Staal1.600.47019%0
CAR J. Chatfield1.520.2628%0
MTL J. Anderson1.320.31216%2
MTL A. Texier1.310.39015%0
MTL L. Hutson1.200.7509%0
CAR E. Robinson1.220.26112%1
MTL M. Matheson1.210.3407%0
CAR A. Nikishin1.110.2908%0
CAR W. Carrier1.100.23111%0
MTL J. Evans1.110.40013%0
MTL P. Danault1.100.36213%0
CAR M. Jankowski1.010.30215%0
MTL Z. Bolduc0.900.31013%0
MTL K. Dach0.900.27011%0
MTL K. Guhle0.800.2515%0
MTL O. Kapanen0.800.22011%0
MTL A. Carrier0.710.2715%0
MTL J. Struble0.400.1202%0

Shots on goal: 21 of 36 players within one of their projection; they took 0.5 fewer than projected on average.

Our projections as they stood at puck drop. One game says little about a model; Model Notes has how it tests over thousands.