Displaying the same resolve they showed in gargantuan Round 1 and 2 upsets, the Canadiens bounced back from two humbling shutout losses and defeated the Flyers on Thursday night, 5-1, before a roaring Bell Centre crowd that was hoarse from singing “Ole, ole.”
Five players scored for Montreal, which sliced the Flyers’ series lead in the Eastern Conference finals to two games to one.
“It was an old-fashioned ass-kicking,” Flyers captain Mike Richards said.
“They handed it to us right from the get-go. I don’t know if we felt if we just put our sticks on the ice it was going to be easy, but give them credit; they played hard. They were all over the ice.”
Added Richards: “Maybe we got a little cocky, a little full of ourselves – just thinking we can go out there and play”
Game 4 will be Saturday at 3 p.m. in Montreal.
The Canadiens overcame a 3-1 series deficit against top-seeded Washington in the conference quarterfinals, then won the last two games to stun defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh in the semifinals.