On Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning learned they would play the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. On Tuesday, they secured the home-ice advantage. A day later, the NHL scheduled Game 1 for Sunday.
Another puzzle piece was revealed late Thursday: The opener will begin at 5:45 p.m. at Benchmark International Arena. TNT will televise.
Still to come: the remaining dates and times of the best-of-seven matchup.
For now, Tampa Bay’s focus can shift from when to how it can defeat a resurgent Canadiens team coached by Lightning Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis.
The Bolts have reached the postseason nine straight seasons, but the challenge has been advancing past the first round for the first time since 2021-22, when they lost to Colorado in the Stanley Cup Final.
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Tampa Bay (50-26-6) and Montreal (48-24-10) finished the regular season with 106 points in the Atlantic Division standings, but the Lightning claimed the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by having the tiebreaker of most wins in regulation (40-34). Montreal is the No. 3 seed.
With that second seed comes home-ice advantage, placing Games 1, 2 and, if needed, 5 and 7 in Tampa. Games 3,4 and 6, if needed, will be in Montreal.
“You don't win the Stanley Cup in the regular season, but to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, you have to get through it,” said Lightning coach John Cooper. “I just think we grew as a group, and I thought they did a hell of a job.”
Eastern Conference survivors
Cooper said he was proud of his team’s success, especially considering the high level of play this year in the East. Tampa Bay’s 50 wins are the most by the franchise since that 2021-22 season and marks its fifth 50-win season in franchise history.
"Fifty wins, to me, that’s a big number,” he said. “And for them to pull through and get that, especially in the division and conference we’re in, which was elite – I don’t know if I’ve seen a conference as competitive as this was from top to bottom.
“But now it’s … the second season, and this takes a whole new wave of commitment and determination and everything that goes in it.”
The Canadiens have won eight in a row down the stretch and 15 of their final 21 games, with Cole Caufield becoming the organization's first 50-goal scorer since 1990 and center Nick Suzuki crashing the MVP race. The squad moves the puck extremely well and quickly and can strike at 5-on-5 or the power play.
However, with little postseason experience, they’ll have to prove they can play rugged, playoff-style hockey by defending and getting some stops in net.
The Lightning, who have missed the playoffs only once in Cooper’s 13 full seasons, hope to compensate for that speed with experience, depth and some of the biggest stars in game.
Lightning overcame key injuries
The Lightning endured injuries to the likes of defensemen Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh to top centers Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, and yet they're among the Stanley Cup favorites thanks to winger Nikita Kucherov and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The extended injuries have shown why Cooper is one of the best and may be in line for his first Adams Award as the league’s top coach.
Of note, Hedman, the team captain, has not played since mid-March and finished the season on Long Term injured Reserve for a personal issue. His playoff status in uncertain.
However, Vasilevskiy, a favorite to win his second Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender, gives Tampa Bay a chance to win every game. “The Big Cat” has played 120 playoff games with an excellent .918 save percentage.
Kucherov, with 130 points (44 goals) is one of the best passers ever and one of the favorites for the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player. But he’ll need room to maneuver, someone he lacked the past three years in the more physical postseason.
The Lightning have shown more muscle this season. When these teams met in Montreal a week ago, 126 penalty minutes were served. Tampa Bay took 71 that include four of the game’s seven 10-minute misconducts. Montreal won to clinch the season series, 2-1-1.
St. Louis, in his fourth season as Canadiens coach, spent 13 seasons with the Lightning and was a member of the franchise’s 2004 Cup-winning team. A Hall of Famer, he becomes the second player to have his number retired and face his former team in the playoffs as a coach.
“I’m going to focus on my team,” St. Louis said. “They’re a veteran team that pretty much has been the standard the last seven, eight, 10 years. They’re good. We’re good, too … whether we’re the favorite or underdog. That’s why we play the games. We’re not worried about this.”
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Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
