Not that we needed more proof, but the Calgary Flames are a bad stylistic matchup for the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal capitalizes on mistakes and generates from counter-attacks. It works well against teams who get caught making higher-risk seam plays, but not versus hyper-conservative formations. Against the Flames, the offence dries up. There aren’t as many breakdowns to turn into scoring chances.
The Flames limit east-west passing plays in the neutral zone. They dump the puck in, forecheck as a five-man unit, fire pucks from the point, and load up the front of the net.