playoffs Lightning vs. Canadiens Stanley Cup Final preview

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens

Lightning: 4-3 to take Stanley Cup Semifinals in opposition to Contemporary York Islanders; 4-1 to take Stanley Cup 2nd Round in opposition to Carolina Hurricanes; 4-2 to take Stanley Cup First Round in opposition to Florida Panthers; 36-17-3, 75 functions in typical season (third in Idea Central Division)

Canadiens: 4-2 to take Stanley Cup Semifinals in opposition to Vegas Golden Knights; 4-0 to take Stanley Cup 2nd Round in opposition to Winnipeg Jets; 4-3 to take Stanley Cup First Round in opposition to Toronto Maple Leafs; 24-21-11, 59 functions in typical season (fourth in Scotia North Division)

Game 1: Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS)

The Tampa Bay Lightning will strive and repeat as Stanley Cup champions, and the Montreal Canadiens will take into epic to add to their legend by a success their 24th championship since coming into the NHL in 1917, after they meet within the Stanley Cup Final, initiating Monday.

After a success its 2nd championship final season, Tampa Bay can turn into the ninth team to take the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons, and the first for the explanation that Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. The Lightning wished a 1-0 absorb Game 7 in opposition to Contemporary York within the Stanley Cup Semifinals to return to the Cup Final.

“There might possibly be a the explanation why, and so they’re support within the Final this yr,” Canadiens coach Dominque Ducharme acknowledged Saturday. “So it’ll be a posh misfortune for us, that is definite. However any Final is alleged to be that device and we are going to be ready to sail in Game 1.”

Video: NHL Tonight previews the Stanley Cup Final

Montreal started the playoffs as heavy underdogs in opposition to the Maple Leafs and were on the brink of elimination in Game 5. However the Canadiens are 11-2 since, along side a 3-2 time beyond regulation take to in finding rid of the Golden Knights.

Ducharme tested certain for COVID-19 and ignored the final be aware four video games of the semifinals. He acknowledged he expects to return for Game 3. Assistant Luke Richardson has coached in his absence, going 3-1 to support Montreal reach to the Cup Final for the first time since 1993, after they won their most most up-to-date championship.

“For us, they’re a roadblock,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper acknowledged. “And we’re a undeniable community to sail in there and respect one more team we hang no longer performed. However it completely’s certain by observing them on TV how appropriate they’re and the device they hang their mojo going and led by their goaltender (Carey Sign). It will likely be a fun sequence.” 

The Canadiens and Lightning did no longer play each other this season as a result of non permanent divisional realignment as a result of COVID-19. It will likely be the fourth playoff sequence between them; Tampa Bay has won two, along side basically the most most up-to-date, in six video games within the 2015 Eastern Conference 2nd Round.

Game breakers

Lightning: Brayden Level scored a aim in 9 straight playoff video games ahead of his chase ended in Game 7 in opposition to the Islanders, leaving the center one searching the NHL legend set by Reggie Leach with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976. Level leads the playoffs with 14 targets in 18 video games, matching his leading total in 23 video games from final postseason.

Video: Brayden Level’s finest performs of playoffs

Canadiens: Cole Caufield was once a wholesome scratch for the first two video games of the playoffs, but the rookie ahead has progressively established himself as one of their most dynamic offensive threats with his skating and shot. The 20-yr-outdated led Montreal with four targets and tied linemate Slit Suzuki for its lead with 5 functions in opposition to Vegas.

Video: Cole Caufield’s finest performs of playoffs

Goaltending 

Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy is 12-6 with a 1.99 targets-in opposition to moderate, .936 set percentage and four shutouts and has allowed two targets or fewer in 11 of his 18 begins. Voted a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the tip goalie within the NHL for a fourth straight season (he won it in 2018-19), Vasilevskiy was once 31-10-1 with a 2.21 GAA, .925 set percentage and 5 shutouts at some stage within the moderate season.

Video: Andrei Vasilevskiy’s finest saves of playoffs

Canadiens: Carey Sign, who won the Vezina in 2014-15 and was once a finalist in 2016-17, has nearly matched Vasilevskiy within the playoffs, going 12-5 with a 2.02 GAA, .934 set percentage and one shutout in 17 video games. Over the final two postseasons, he’s 17-10 with a 1.93 GAA, .934 set percentage and three shutouts. 

Video: Carey Sign’s finest saves of playoffs

Numbers to snatch

Lightning: Nikita Kucherov leads the playoffs with 27 functions (5 targets, 22 assists) in 18 video games, along side 17 on the vitality play. The Lightning are 20-for-53 (37.7 percent) with the man-abet within the postseason. Tampa Bay is 14-0 following a loss within the postseason since being swept within the 2019 Eastern Conference First Round by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the longest flee in NHL history.

Canadiens: They are 11-0 within the playoffs when scoring in any case two targets. Montreal hasn’t allowed a vitality-play aim in an NHL-legend 13 straight playoff video games, killing 30 penalties over that span. 

X-factors

Lightning: Anthony Cirelli is on the total overshadowed by bigger-title forwards Level, Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, but the 2nd-line heart has a knack for coming thru in abundant moments. Cirelli has scored 10 functions (four targets, six assists) in 18 playoff video games, along side his support on Yanni Gourde‘s game-a success, shorthanded aim in Game 7 in opposition to Contemporary York. 

Canadiens: Corey Perry, who won the Cup with the Anaheim Geese in 2007, has been a precious inclined presence for the length of the playoffs, scoring 9 functions (three targets, six assists) in 17 video games. Perry scored three targets for the Dallas Stars within the Cup Final in opposition to Tampa Bay final season, along side the time beyond regulation winner in Game 5. His 5 playoff time beyond regulation targets are tied for third in NHL history within the support of Maurice Richard (six) and Joe Sakic (eight).

They acknowledged it

“It will likely be an abundant misfortune for us. And that’s the explanation where we return to the total instances that we now hang been in this stutter. This core now. … there might possibly be guys that that is their third remaining (final season; 2015, lost to Chicago Blackhawks), so we apt return on previous experiences and sail from there.” — Lightning ahead Steven Stamkos

“We’re hoping that the next seven video games we apt sail away it all on the ice and at the end of the sequence have confidence that after we blueprint the things that we now hang talked about we are in a position to also be elated with the effort and confidently in finding the chance to be holding that Cup at the end of the total thing.” — Canadiens ahead Brendan Gallagher

Will take if …

Lightning: They proceed to play with the patience and defensive commitment they had in opposition to the Islanders. The Canadiens play a same structure defensively to the Islanders, and Sign is at the tip of his game, so the Lightning might possibly possibly maybe calm ask one more tight-checking sequence with several one-aim video games.

Video: Easiest of Tampa Bay’s flee to Stanley Cup Final

Canadiens: Sign matches Vasilevskiy’s play, the penalty raze stays hot, and so they proceed to in finding scoring for the length of their lineup. Eleven avid gamers hang scored in any case two targets for Montreal.

Video: Easiest of Montreal’s flee to Stanley Cup Final

How they glimpse 

Lightning projected lineup

Ondrej Palat — Brayden Level — Nikita Kucherov

Alex Killorn — Anthony Cirelli — Steven Stamkos

Barclay Goodrow — Yanni Gourde — Blake Coleman

Ross Colton — Tyler Johnson — Pat Maroon

Victor Hedman — Jan Rutta

Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak

Mikhail Sergachev – David Savard

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Curtis McElhinney

Scratched: Alex Barre-Boulet, Mathieu Joseph, Boris Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh, Gemel Smith, Mitchell Stephens, Daniel Walcott, Fredrik Claesson, Cal Foote, Ben Thomas, Christopher Gibson, Spencer Martin

Injured: None

Canadiens projected lineup

Artturi Lehkonen — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher

Tyler Toffoli — Slit Suzuki — Cole Caufield

Paul Byron — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Josh Anderson

Joel Armia — Eric Staal — Corey Perry

Ben Chiarot — Shea Weber

Joel Edmundson — Jeff Petry

Jon Merrill — Erik Gustafsson

Carey Sign

Jake Allen

Scratched: Brett Kulak, Alexander Romanov, Tomas Tatar, Michael Frolik, Alex Belzile, Xavier Ouellet, Cayden Primeau, Cale Fleury, Charlie Lindgren, Lukas Vejdemo, Laurent Dauphin, Jesse Ylonen, Otto Leskinen, Michael McNiven

Injured: Jake Evans (concussion)