The Red Wings earned it — the game and the expected-goals battle both.
Detroit won decisively, but Montreal controlled the puck. The Canadiens held 53% of shot attempts (27–24) yet managed only 3.50 expected goals to Detroit's 4.14—a near-even game underneath that ended 4-0.
The difference was shot quality and execution. Detroit averaged 0.071 xG per shot, Montreal 0.052. High-danger chances told the same story: Detroit 8, Montreal 4. On the rush, Detroit converted ruthlessly—3 goals on 26 chances, turning transition moments into finishes.
J. Gibson stopped 27 of 27 for Detroit, finishing 3.50 goals better than expected. That gap—the size of Detroit's entire win—came from Gibson's positioning and rebound control. J. Fowler faced fewer but cleaner chances for Montreal; his 20 of 23 still left him 1.14 above expected, a solid performance in a lost cause.
Montreal's mistake was finishing. They underperformed their xG by 3.50 goals, meaning the quality of their looks didn't match the results. They generated 3 rebound opportunities but converted none, a missed chance to compound their pressure into actual danger.
Andrew Copp's tip-in from the slot (third period, 18:53) opened the gate. By then, Detroit had already seized control—not through possession, but through precision.
