Ugh. It’s the oldest story in hockey: one team plays great the whole game…wins all the battles, dominates shifts, puts shots off the post, gets great chances in the last period…and then the other team gets one lucky little bounce in overtime to win the game. As it turned out, the Canadiens were eliminated on that little bounce. It was a shot from just inside the blueline that Huet would’ve handled in his sleep, but Craig Rivet put his stick in front of the shot, it changed direction and Huet watched it go over his shoulder.

If you’d told me before the series started that the Canadiens would take the Hurricanes to six games, I would’ve been a little surprised. But to win the first two games in Carolina, and then lose the next four…that’s hard to swallow. Still, not many people picked the Canadiens to even make the playoffs this year…but that won’t help Craig Rivet sleep tonight.

Like Jim Hughson said during the game, there were two turning points: when Cam Ward replaced Martin Gerber in game two, and when Williams took Koivu’s eye out in game three. All of a sudden the Hurricanes had a hot goalie and an opponent without their captain and #1 centre. A win that night and they had momentum too. They didn’t really pick up their game to the level they were known for all year (and unless they find a new gear in the next round, the Devils are going to destroy them) but they didn’t have to since Montreal coasted through the next three games. Tonight, though outplayed, they just got the bounce to put them into the second round.

Funny thing about the series…even though they lost the series four games to two, Montreal outscored Carolina in the series 17-15. The first game was a blowout; the last five were decided by a goal.

Alas, the season’s over. When all’s said and done, I’m just glad that Saku Koivu still had a left eye.