For the first time since 1993, the Stanley Cup Final will feature the all-time winningest franchise in the history of the National Hockey League.
Thanks to a game-winning goal from Artturi Lehkonen at the 1:39 mark of the first overtime period, the Montreal Canadiens are Stanley Cup Final bound after a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup Semifinals matchup.
It was the Canadiens that managed to get out to the early lead in front of about 3,500 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal. After a turnover by Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez in the Vegas zone, Canadiens captain Shea Weber was able to wire a slap shot by goalie Robin Lehner with help from a screen set up in front by Jesperi Kotkaniemi. It was Weber's first goal of the playoffs.
However, the lead didn't last long as Vegas forward Reilly Smith was able to re-direct a point shot from defenseman Shea Theodore past goalie Carey Price just 48 seconds later.
Near the halfway point of the second period, Montreal re-gained the lead thanks to another goal from rookie forward Cole Caufield. The 20-year-old was able to get around defenseman Brayden McNabb to pursue a loose puck, streak in on Lehner and beat the Vegas netminder with a shot over the glove hand. It was Caufield's fourth goal of the series.
The third period started in Montreal with the Golden Knights tying the score at 2-2 just 1:08 into the final frame. After a shot from the point by defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was knocked down, Alec Martinez was able to stuff his rebound chance through the five-hole of Price for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Both teams combined to put up 25 shots on goal in the final 20 minutes, but the score remained even at 2-2 heading into sudden-death overtime.
It didn't take long for the Canadiens to clinch the series and send the Golden Knights packing for the season. After a save by Price off a faceoff in the Montreal end, the Canadiens quickly broke back into the Golden Knights end for an offensive rush. After forward Phillip Danault cut through two defenders to find some open space, he was able to thread a nice backhand pass over to Lehkonen, who quickly got off a snap shot that beat Lehner on the blocker side.
While the fans inside the Bell Centre celebrated the historic win for the Canadiens, the fans outside the arena in Montreal also celebrated the victory... maybe a bit too hard.
Following the game, the 3,500 fans inside the arena were forced to remain in the building until the rowdy crowd outside started to disperse. While it was also Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec, the party outside raged on for a while, and it included some fans causing damage to a police car outside the Bell Centre.
The last time the Canadiens played in the Stanley Cup Final, the team won its 23rd Stanley Cup title with a five-game series win over Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. That team happened to be the last Canadian-based team in the NHL to win the Stanley Cup.
Montreal is also the first team to represent Canada in a Stanley Cup Final since 2011 when the Vancouver Canucks lost their seven-game series to the Boston Bruins.
All the Canadiens can do now is await the winner of the other Stanley Cup Semifinals series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. Game 7 of their series is set to take place Friday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay at 8 p.m. ET.
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