The Montreal Canadiens have to become comfortable being uncomfortable.
The coaching staff could devise dozens of plans to stop Auston Matthews’s line in this series, but it would be time wasted. No matter the pressure Montreal puts up ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first unit will get their offensive sequences. They will find ways to maintain possession, start a wide cycle around the zone, and put the Habs’ defence under duress. Erasing them from a game completely is not a realistic objective. There is just too much skill on that line.
So for the Canadiens, it is about getting comfortable holding the last line of defence: the slot.