Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens returned to a packed Bell Centre for Game 3 against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday and promptly delivered a 5-1 victory behind another stellar effort from goalie Carey Price (24 saves).

It's the sixth straight victory for the Habs this postseason and gives the club a 3-0 lead in their second-round series.

The @CanadiensMTL just keep on rolling. 🚨#GoHabsGo | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/lBbd3KHnlQ

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 6, 2021

The club is now one win away from becoming the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup semifinals since the Jets fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018. No team north of the border has won the Cup since the 1993 Canadiens.

The loss puts Winnipeg in a dreaded position. Only four teams in NHL history have come back to win a series after going down 3-0, with the Los Angeles Kings last accomplishing the feat in 2014.

Corey Perry is having quite the postseason. 🚨#GoHabsGo on top early in Game 3. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/gwarcAdVSy

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 6, 2021

Notable Performers

Joel Armia, RW, Montreal Canadiens: 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 2 SOG

Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Montreal Canadiens: 1 Goal, 7 SOG, 4 Hits

Adam Lowry, LW, Winnipeg Jets: 1 Goal, 2 SOG, 5 Hits

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets: 5 Goals Allowed, 28 Saves

Habs Embarrass Jets' Power Play Again

If Joel Armia's second period goal looked a bit familiar on Sunday, there's good reason for it. 

The tally that put Montreal up 3-0 was nearly identical to the goal Tyler Toffoli scored in Game 2 in Winnipeg. Both goals came short-handed. Both the result of a 2-on-1 rush. Both came at the expense of Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey.

Sunday's goal proved even more of a dagger, with Montreal already up 2-0 and a raucous home crowd egging on the Habs. 

With just under seven minutes remaining in the second period, Armia picked off a blind Winnipeg pass near the left faceoff dot in the Canadiens' zone and took off down the ice with Paul Byron. Only Morrissey stood in the way of the two wingers and Jets' goalie Hellebuyck. For the second time in as many games, the defenseman sprawled out on the ice to take away Armia's passing lane, only for the winger to toe-drag around him and bury a wrist shot in the back of the net. 

The @CanadiensMTL with a SHORTY! 🚨#GoHabsGo | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/FuF0t8h3Si

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 6, 2021

Armia should've known that move was coming from Morrissey after the Jet tried the same thing in Game 2. 

A Toffoli shorty gets the @CanadiensMTL on the board first! 🚨 #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/qYocIYP6Al

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2021

After tying the Boston Bruins for the regular season lead with nine short-handed goals, the Canadiens now have three shorties in the postseason. Equally concerning for the Jets is the fact they've now failed to convert on seven power play opportunities against Montreal.

Montreal has reached the point where giving up the man-advantage doesn't seem to help the Jets offense at all.

That Caufield ➡️ Suzuki connection. 🤩#ItsOn pic.twitter.com/DEGGgfE0CO

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 7, 2021

Tyler Toffoli has certainly been a welcomed addition to the @CanadiensMTL's lineup.@tytoff16 became the fourth player in franchise history with a #StanleyCup Playoffs point streak of 5+ games while skating in their first season with the club. #NHLStats: https://t.co/R6Af7uquJm pic.twitter.com/dUbzC1tuwk

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 7, 2021

Winnipeg On The Brink 

It's been hard to find anything to feel good about when it comes to the Jets during the second round. Barring a significant change in Game 4, that'll mean a rather ruthless sweep at the hands of the Canadiens after Winnipeg swept the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. 

Through three games, the Habs have out-scored the Jets 11-4 despite barely being out-shot 90-87. Winnipeg went nearly 100 minutes without a goal in the series, finally breaking through at the end of the second period on Sunday after getting shut out in Game 2. 

Blake Wheeler thought he had one.

The crossbar said NO. #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/fMWqI29j0D

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 6, 2021

Adam Lowry skated in on Price's weak side, took a quick pass from Mathieu Perreault and fired a one-timer past the the otherwise unbeatable Habs goalie. But what was notable about the goal wasn't just that Price's saves streak came to an end, but that the Jets were able to fire off a shot in the slot below the faceoff dots. 

What a feed 😤

Mathieu Perreault ➡️ Adam Lowry and the @NHLJets are on the board! #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/0XrbxesPkM

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 6, 2021

It was only the fifth attempt from that location on the night. Winnipeg would only get off three more from there in the third period. 

The Canadiens have now won six straight playoff games, all without trailing, tied for the second-longest such streak in a single postseason all-time.

The only team with a longer streak in Stanley Cup Playoff history?

The Canadiens, who did it in eight straight games in 1960. pic.twitter.com/oQuf2uLuzI

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 7, 2021

Montreal's ability to keep the middle of the ice clear has allowed Price to play at his best and kept the Jets from finding high-percentage looks. Even with Mark Scheifele still suspended for his hit on Jake Evans in Game 1, there's enough blame to go around in the Jets locker room for their inability to generate those chances. 

While offense has clearly been the biggest issue for the Jets this series, Paul Maurice may have no choice but to swap Hellebuyck in net for backup Laurent Brossoit. Winnipeg needs to find a spark somehow, and with Hellebuyck giving up four goals on Sunday, he may be the odd man out. 

That may have been the case anyways with Game 4 slated for Monday night, but Maurice will have to push whatever buttons he can to extend the series. 

What's Next?

The teams will stick around in Montreal for Game 4 on Monday night. Faceoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on NHL Network.

The Montreal Canadians grabbed a 2-0 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets in their second-round series with a 1-0 victory on Friday night at MTS Place. 

It was the first time on the ice for both teams since Winnipeg's Mark Schiefele was suspended four-games for charging Canadiens center Jake Evans at the end of Game 1. Evans was taken off the ice on a stretcher and remains out indefinitely. 

Already playing without Kaiden Guhle, Jon Merrill, Artturi Lehkonen and Tomas Tatar, the loss of Evans shortened the Habs' bench even further, but the club used a short-handed goal from Tyler Toffoli to grab a second victory on the road before heading back to Montreal for Game 3. Carey Price remained stellar with 30 saves on the night. 

A Toffoli shorty gets the @CanadiensMTL on the board first! 🚨 #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/qYocIYP6Al

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2021

It's the fifth-straight victory for the Canadiens since falling to a 3-1 series deficit in their first-round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Notable Performers

Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens: 30 saves, 0 Goals Allowed, 8th Career Playoff Shutout

Tyler Toffoli, RW, Montreal Canadiens: 1 Goal, 1 Shot, 14:16 TOI

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets: 23 Saves, 1 Goal Allowed

Mathieu Perreault, LW, Winnipeg Jets: 3 SOG, 7 Hits, 14:40 TOI

Jets Power Play Woes Get Worse

Winnipeg may want to consider panicking as far as its power play is concerned. 

For the second straight game, the Jets' special teams failed to convert with the man-advantage, instead allowing a short-handed goal to Montreal in the second period serve as the lone tally on the night. 

#Habs Danault identifies the 0-3 series deficit after Game 4 vs Toronto as the turning point in their playoffs: "When we had our backs against the wall we looked in the mirror and realized, this could be it."

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) June 5, 2021

Toffoli's toe-drag around two defenders—with a third closing in—is the low point of a Winnipeg power play that finished with the seventh-best conversion rate during the regular season (23 percent). That's not to take anything away from the Habs' penalty kill, which tied for the most short-handed goals in the league at nine with the Boston Bruins, but the Jets can hardly afford whiffing on power play opportunities at this point in the year. 

They certainly can't afford to go 0-for-5 on the man-advantage in two home games to open the second-round series and expect to win. 

Not having Scheifele available for at least another three games—should the series last that long—doesn't make things any easier, either. The center is Winnipeg's time-on-ice leader on the power play (181:28 during the regular season) and has a team-high 13 assists on special teams with four goals. 

The Jets have to find answer for the loss of Scheifele there and fast if they're going to make a comeback in this series—to say nothing of having to figure things out on the road, too. 

Considering how rare scoring chances were in Game 2 for both teams, getting the power play active again might be the only chance the Jets have at climbing back into to contention. 

Price Is Right for Montreal 

It might be time to start wondering if Carey Price has a shot at winning the Conn Smythe trophy this postseason.

Following his latest postseason shutout—which moved him just two back of Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante (10) for most in Montreal history—Price lowered his playoff goals against average to 2.08 and raised his save percentage to 93.5. He's also been a master of gobbling up shots and making sure he doesn't allow any rebounds. 

Carey Price of the @CanadiensMTL pocketed the eighth playoff shutout of his NHL career and owns the fourth-most among active goaltenders behind Marc-Andre Fleury (16), Henrik Lundqvist (10) and Jonathan Quick (9). #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/ouMWBi9Xrx pic.twitter.com/4aKSOJ4GTD

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 5, 2021

Price is already the Canadiens' most important player. He might just be the most valuable in the postseason overall.

No goalie has won the Conn Smythe since Jonathan Quick accomplished the feat in 2012 with the Los Angeles Kings. That year he finished with a 1.41 GAA and 94.6 save percentage. With how the Canadiens have been able to protect the puck and keep their defensemen from losing their positioning in front of Price through two games against the Jets, it's not wild to think the netminder's numbers could keep improving—especially as he returns home to the Bell Centre. 

Since the #Habs two OT wins over the #Leafs they really have become a team. #HabsIO

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) June 5, 2021

Of course, Price will have to carry his team to the Stanley Cup Final in order to truly put together a Conn Smythe campaign. By that point it might not eve matter whether or not the Habs become the first Canadian team since the Montreal team in 1993 to win the Cup—a year Patrick Roy won the playoff MVP in net. Five players on the Cup-losing team have won the Conn Smythe. Four of them were goalies. 

Price's legacy in Montreal should be secure either way at this point, but on the verge of a truly epic playoff run, he may just be this postseason's most valuable player. 

What's Next

Game 3 shifts to the Bell Centre in Montreal at 6 p.m. ET on June 6 live on NBCSN. 

The Montreal Canadiens won't stop. 

After winning three games in a row to upend the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, the Canadiens carried that momentum into the second round, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Wednesday at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg. 

After a three-goal first period, Brendan Gallagher scored the eventual winner for the Canadiens, who also won Game 1 of their first-round series before dropping three in a row.

For the Jets, who hadn't played since sweeping the Edmonton Oilers on May 24, Kyle Connor gave them an extra chance by scoring their third goal with six skaters on the ice, but it wasn't enough as Jake Evans potted a fifth for Montreal on an empty net.

Evans took a scary hit after scoring and was stretchered off the ice with 58 seconds left to play. Mark Scheifele was sent off with a five-and-10 for charging. 

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Notable Performers

• Brendan Gallagher, Canadiens: 1 goal (game-winner)
• Carey Price, Canadiens: 27 saves
• Kyle Connor, Jets: 1 goal
• Connor Hellebuyck, Jets: 28 saves

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Montreal's Fast Start Seals It

The Canadiens got off to a fast start, scoring a pair of goals within 1:40 in the first five minutes of the game. The action came from two separate lines, highlighting the power present throughout the roster.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi got things going at 3:30, continuing his strong postseason play.

On prend l'avance tôt grâce au 4e but des séries de Kotkaniemi!

An early lead thanks to Kotkaniemi's 4th of the postseason! #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/QpbBR8dVRw

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 2, 2021

Kotkaniemi had five goals in 56 games this season. He has four in 6 playoff games and a shift.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) June 2, 2021

Jesperi Kotkaniemi opened the scoring at 3:30 of the first period in Game 1 and passed Stephane Richer for sole possession of the second-most playoff goals among @CanadiensMTL players age 20 or younger. #StanleyCup#NHLStats: https://t.co/0YNzFoVsbS pic.twitter.com/w5ko6LvsJG

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 3, 2021

 Eric Staal doubled the lead at 5:10 of the first.

Eric Staal: 2-0, svp.

Eric Staal: Make that 2-0! #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/QFUkJksLXI

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 3, 2021

Though the Jets got one back, Nick Suzuki increased the distance again for the Canadiens after he beat out a two-on-one.

If you like goals, this is the game for you!#GoHabsGo with three in the first. #StanleyCup

📺: NBCSN
💻: https://t.co/uFN9NCVX3I pic.twitter.com/IywK8uRTwZ

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021

The offensive onslaught kept going, with another puck in the net at 1:44 left in the period, though it was ruled no good due to goalie interference. Still, Montreal broke out with an energy that was just lacking from the opposing side. 

Even when the Jets showed resistance, making it a one-goal game with under 11 minutes to play, Brendan Gallagher increased the distance, and it was enough to stave off a Jets comeback late. 

The @CanadiensMTL answer right back!#GoHabsGo | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/guh2LC0VYR

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021

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Early Injuries Keep Jets Short

The Jets had a little hangover from their nine days off, allowing the Canadiens to dominate early. That was something head coach Paul Maurice said he was afraid of heading into the opening game of the series. 

#NHLJets coach Paul Maurice seemed a bit worried about how his team might start the game tonight after 9 days off. And that concern was clearly warranted, given the rough start here to a Montreal team riding an emotional high after 3 straight elimination game victories.

— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) June 2, 2021

But rest aside, the Jets were also missing Paul Stastny, who was responsible for a pair of points throughout the first round series. They also suffered a defensive loss early, with Dylan DeMelo, who skates on the team's first defensive pairing, ruled out with a lower body injury early. 

That gave the Jets just five defenders to hold off a fast-flying Montreal offense.

With the Canadiens ready to go for more on the power play while already up 2-0, Adam Lowry found the back of the net for a short-handed goal. 

Adam Lowry with a SHORTY!#GoJetsGo are on the board. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/9TJBzYvaxm

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021

As the clock wore on, what was left of the Jets lineup laid it all out on the ice. Mathieu Perreault needed to be helped off the ice after blocking a shot from Shea Weber, though he returned back to the bench after a quick trip down the tunnel. 

The Jets had some renewed energy in the second period, but Canadiens goalie Carey Price was on his game, making 21 stops to keep Winnipeg at bay. 

At the start of the third, the Jets showed some signs of life, controlling the period early. It paid off when Derek Forbort scored his second career postseason goal, making it a one-point game with under 11 minutes to play. 

ONE. GOAL. GAME!#GoJetsGo | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/UBuRfnmAHi

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 3, 2021

A depleted Jets lineup pushed but couldn't make up for the hole it fell into following Montreal's quick start.

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What's Next? 
Game 2 is Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Montreal Canadiens forward Corey Perry said he did not intend to injure Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares when his knee caught the center's head in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

The incident occurred in the first period of the Habs' 2-1 victory and left Tavares crumpled on the ice before paramedics were able to get him on to a stretcher and transport him to a local hospital for further evaluation.

"I honestly felt sick to my stomach when I saw it," Perry told reporters after the win. "When I saw him, with the way he is, it's a scary situation. I'll reach out to him and talk to him, and hopefully he's OK."

The Maple Leafs and Canadiens showed their support for John Tavares after a scary collision in Toronto.

Tavares gave the thumbs up as he was being stretchered off. pic.twitter.com/1OpiVLXmOu

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2021

Tavares took a clean hit from Ben Chiarot and was falling to the ice when Perry's knee caught him flush in the head. The Canadiens veteran said he tried to avoid Tavares as soon as he fell in his path but couldn't react quickly enough.

"I don't know what else I could do," Perry explained. "I tried to jump over him."

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Tavares was conscious and communicating well following the hit but will remain in hospital overnight despite initial tests coming back "clear."

None of that mattered in the immediate aftermath of the injury, as Toronto's Nick Foligno took it upon himself to drop the gloves with Perry when play resumed.

Despite the accidental nature of Perry's hit, Foligno felt a need to drop the gloves with Perry as retribution.

"Our captain's laying there on the ice," Foligno said. "Nothing more than that. I don't think it's malicious, but our captain's laying there."

Perry understood the sentiment, even if he was clearly shaken from what happened to Tavares.

When asked by @JohnLuTSNMtl if any Leafs accused him of the hit being intentional, Corey Perry said:

“I mean, it’s an accident. All [Foligno] said was ‘let’s settle this now. I know it’s an accident,’ he said. But it’s their captain, so it is what it is. That’s all I can say.”

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 21, 2021

Perry himself made it clear to Tavares that he had no ill intent, skating over to the center as he was being taken off the ice to wish him well.

The Montreal Canadiens are back in the playoffs for the second straight season. The 24-time Stanley Cup champions sealed a berth in the postseason with a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Forcing the extra period was enough to get the job done regardless of the game's outcome.

🔵🔴 CLINCHED 🔵🔴

Welcome to the #StanleyCup Playoffs, @CanadiensMTL! pic.twitter.com/AuFMCFlr1g

— NHL (@NHL) May 11, 2021

With the Canadiens in, three teams have now qualified from the North Division, with four teams from each division moving on to the next stage.

          

Qualified Playoff Teams

Central

• Carolina Hurricanes (80 points)
• Florida Panthers (79 points)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (75 points)
• Nashville Predators (62 points)

East

• Pittsburgh Penguins (77 points)
• Washington Capitals (75 points)
• Boston Bruins (73 points)
• New York Islanders (71 points)

North

• Toronto Maple Leafs (76 points)
• Edmonton Oilers (70 points)
• Winnipeg Jets (59 points)
• Montreal Canadiens (58 points)

West

• Vegas Golden Knights (80 points)
• Colorado Avalanche (76 points)
• Minnesota Wild (75 points)
• St. Louis Blues (57 points)

Montreal will be looking to advance past the first round, something it hasn't achieved since 2015. It upset the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round of the amended 2020 postseason before falling to the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six games.

Signing Tyler Toffoli to a four-year, $17 million deal looks like a masterstroke as he has registered 28 goals in his first season with the team, tied for sixth-most in the NHL. The offensive support for him has been somewhat lacking, though, with Jeff Petry the only other Canadiens player to have at least 40 points so far. Montreal's 2.91 goals per game rank 14th.

Carey Price has endured a tough go of it as well. His performance (.901 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average) is solid but below what you'd expect of the NHL's highest-paid goaltender at $10.5 million annually. Price has also been sidelined with a concussion.

In general, the fanbase would probably be content with a trip to the second round. The team's winning percentage has increased slightly from .500 to .538 entering Monday, and there are encouraging signs for the future.

Almost all of the Canadiens' key players are returning next season. Nick Suzuki has provided solid returns (13 goals, 26 assists) in his second year, and 2019 first-round pick Cole Caufield made his NHL debut April 26 against the Calgary Flames.

Caulfield, 20, scored his first goal on May 1, delivering the decisive blow in overtime against the Ottawa Senators.

While the arrow is pointing upward for Montreal, it's probably too early to expect the team to make a lot of noise in the playoffs.

The Montreal Canadiens have had more games postponed because of the league's COVID-19 protocols.

The league announced Tuesday that the team's games through Sunday have been postponed following two players entering the league's protocol. 

The Canadiens were set to play the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, but the league canceled that game for the same reason. 

According to Sportsnet, forwards Jesper Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia were the two players added to the COVID Protocol List on Monday, though the designation does not necessarily mean that they tested positive for the virus.

Both players played Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks and were on the ice for morning skate on Monday. The team's facility was closed on Tuesday and all players and staff are undergoing their regular testing for the virus, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels. 

Engels later added that there is only one Vancouver player on the league's COVID-19 list, though he did not play with the Canucks against the Canadiens.

The postponements are the first of the season in the league's North Division, which encompasses all seven of the NHL's Canada-based teams. The new postponements—which include scheduled games for Wednesday and Friday against Edmonton—bring the NHL total up to 45, though five of those were weather-related, according to the league. 

The Montreal Canadiens announced the firing of head coach Claude Julien and associate coach Kirk Muller on Wednesday.

General manager Marc Bergevin appointed assistant Dominique Ducharme as the interim head coach and named Alex Burrows, who was previously an assistant coach with the AHL's Laval Rocket, as an assistant on Ducharme's staff.

The move was made despite Montreal currently holding a playoff spot, as it is fourth in the North Division with a 9-5-4 record for 22 points.

Bergevin released the following statement regarding the decision:

"I would like to sincerely thank Claude and Kirk for their contributions to our team over the past five years during which we worked together. I have great respect for these two men whom I hold in high regard. In Dominique Ducharme, we see a very promising coach who will bring new life and new energy to our group. We feel that our team can achieve high standards and the time had come for a change."

Julien, 60, was in the midst of his eighth season as head coach of the Habs overall.

His head coaching career began in Montreal in 2002, and he was fired during the 2005-06 season in his third year on the job.

Julien went on to coach the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins before returning to Montreal's bench during the 2016-17 season.

While Julien led the Canadiens to the playoffs last season, they reached the postseason in just three of his eight campaigns with the team overall. They also won just two playoff series during that time.

His greatest success came during his 10-year stint in Boston, as he led the Bruins to seven playoff appearances, two Stanley Cup Finals and one Stanley Cup championship.

Overall, Julien owns a career NHL head coaching record of 667-445-10-152 over 19 seasons.

In Ducharme, the Canadiens are trying out a coach who has no NHL head coaching experience, but plenty of head coaching experience at a high level nonetheless.

Ducharme was the head coach of the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads for five seasons from 2011-12 through 2015-16 and then the QMJHL's Drummondville Voltigeurs for two seasons from 2016-17 through 2017-18.

The Joliette, Quebec, Canada, native went 255-158-37 overall and led his teams to six postseason appearances. That included a Memorial Cup win with Halifax in 2012-13, as he coached a team that featured future NHL superstar Nathan MacKinnon.

With Montreal, Ducharme will look to get the most out of the likes of potential young stars such as Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The Montreal Canadiens announced Friday that head coach Claude Julien will return to Montreal to rest following surgery to place a stent in a coronary artery after he was hospitalized with chest pain.

"Doctors expect a full recovery," the statement read.

The Habs are stationed in Toronto, the Eastern Conference's hub city for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs amid the coronavirus pandemic. They trail the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 in their first-round series.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin previously confirmed assistant Kirk Muller will serve as the club's interim head coach for the duration of Julien's absence. No timetable was announced for his return.

"We don't expect him to be back during this series against the Flyers. Kirk [Muller], Dominique [Ducharme], and Luke [Richardson] will share the responsibility, however, Kirk is the associate head coach and he will assume the responsibility of head coach until Claude's return."

Montreal earned a berth in the 16-game postseason bracket by upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round. The Habs' 71 points (31-40-9) before play was halted March 12 were the lowest of any team included in the NHL's restart plans.

Julien knew the Flyers represented an even tougher test for his underdog Canadiens.

"We have to prepare to play, in my estimation, the best team in the Eastern Conference right now by their play," Julien told reporters before the series started.

Jakub Voracek and Joel Farabee scored for Philadelphia and Carter Hart made 27 saves en route to the Game 1 win Wednesday. Shea Weber netted the Montreal goal.

The victory solidified the Flyers as a substantial favorite (-480) to advance, per Caesars Palace.

Game 2 is scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET faceoff Friday on the NBC Sports Network.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Thursday head coach Claude Julien was hospitalized with chest pain. Associate coach Kirk Muller will serve as the Habs' interim head coach. 

Bergevin added Julien's health situation is not related to COVID-19 but it's unlikely he'll return to the bench during the team's first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers, per TSN's Frank Seravalli.

The Flyers scored a 2-1 victory over the Canadiens in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Julien is in the fourth season of his second stint as Montreal's head coach. He previously served in the same capacity from 2002 through 2006, which was his first head coaching job.

The Habs entered the restructured 24-team playoffs, a change caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. They upset the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round despite a lackluster 31-40-9 record during the regular season.

Julien was impressed with how his team responded to the challenge.

"It's not so much what you learn, but it's what we were able to prove," he said. "I always felt we had good leadership, good character. We're a young team. We had some areas there that, during the season, we wanted to see improve. And we've got an opportunity, here in the playoffs, to come and play under pressure situations, and what I've liked about our team is how well we handled it."

The 60-year-old Ontario native has compiled a 658-440-10-148 record across 18 years as an NHL head coach with the Canadiens, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. He led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup championship in 2011.

Muller is a former NHL center who played for the Habs from 1991 through 1995. He posted an 80-80-27 record in three years as the Carolina Hurricanes' head coach from 2011 until 2014.

He joined Julien's Canadiens staff in June 2016.

Game 2 of the series between Montreal and Philadelphia is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the host city for the Eastern Conference's bubble.

Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov retired Thursday, his agent confirmed to Igor Eronko of Russian paper Sport-Express.

Markov spent the past three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League and made 23 regular-season appearances for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in 2019-20.

Once a mainstay of Montreal's defense, his 990 games played are sixth-most in Canadiens history. He's also sixth all time in franchise history in assists (453).

The 41-year-old had a decorated career in the NHL and abroad. He was an All-Star on two occasions in both the NHL (2008 and 2009) and KHL (2013 and 2018) and helped Ak Bars Kazan lift the Gagarin Cup as KHL champions in 2018.

Markov represented Russia at the international level and collected three IIHF World Championship senior medals. He was a member of the 2008 team that captured gold, the country's first title in the competition since 1993.

Markov told the Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan in August 2019 that he was hopeful of ending his career in Montreal. Unable to secure a deal in the NHL, he signed with Lokomotiv that October.

The KHL canceled the remainder of this season in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrew Zadarnowski of TSN 960 Radio reported Lokomotiv wasn't planning to give Markov an extension, which raised doubt about his future on the ice.