Canadiens lead Lightning 1-0 after 1st period of Game 4

MONTREAL — Josh Anderson scored and Carey Price stopped 12 shots, sending the Montreal Canadiens into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead over the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night.

Looking to avoid a four-game sweep, the Canadiens took their first lead of the series when Anderson converted Nick Suzuki’s pass into the slot at 15:39. Otherwise, Montreal had been thoroughly outplayed by the Lightning in being outshot 11-1 before Anderson’s goal.

Suzuki drove deep up the left wing and worked his way around defenseman David Savard, who went down in an attempt to block a pass. Suzuki then fed Anderson, who joined the line after interim coach Dominique Ducharme shuffled his roster.

Price was especially sharp after allowing five goals on 29 shots during Friday’s 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

The 33-year-old Price got a glove up to stop Nikita Sergachev’s snapshot from the right circle in the opening minute of Game 4. Some 30 seconds later, Price held his ground at the right post to stop two shots from Blake Coleman.

The Lightning, who defeated Dallas in a six-game Cup final last year, are attempting to become the NHL’s second team to win consecutive titles in the salary-cap era, which began in 2005. The Pittsburgh Penguins accomplished the feat with titles in 2016 and 2017.

Before the game, the Canadiens paid tribute to Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, who died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described Monday as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July in Novi, Michigan.


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