KEYS TO THE GAME
Weather the storm
Down a game on home ice, expect Tampa to come out flying in Game 2. For Montreal, the key will be surviving that early push: get through the opening minutes, hit the first TV timeout, and settle in. Scoring first has been a winning formula all season for the Habs, who posted 32 wins when opening the scoring, good for seventh in the NHL.
Discipline, discipline, discipline
Neither side had much of it in Game 1. Montreal capitalized—thanks in large part to Juraj Slafkovsky’s hat trick—but they also saw how quickly things can swing the other way. Handing a power play like Tampa’s five opportunities is playing with fire. If the Canadiens want to stay in control, this area needs to be cleaned up.
Rinse, repeat
There isn’t much Montreal needs to overhaul from Game 1. More five-on-five offense? Sure. Fewer penalties? Absolutely. But overall, the foundation was strong. The Habs controlled 69% of MoneyPuck’s deserve-to-win metric and generated eight high-danger chances at even strength, compared to just one for Tampa. Stay the course, with a few tweaks.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Regular season
Dec. 9 vs. TBL: 6-1 TBL
Dec. 28 @ TBL: 5-4 TBL (SO)
Mar. 31 @ TBL: 4-1 MTL
Apr. 9 vs. TBL: 2-1 MTL
Playoffs
Game 1 | Apr. 19 @ TBL: 4-3 MTL (OT)
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
To know playoff Josh Anderson is to love playoff Josh Anderson. He set the tone in Game 1, opening Montreal’s postseason scoring and nearly adding another before it was waved off for a high stick.
At the other end, Brandon Hagel drove the Lightning’s attack. Skating alongside Jake Guentzel and Anthony Cirelli, he struck twice in over 25 minutes of ice time and was a noticeable presence throughout the contest.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-BOLTS
Here’s how the Canadiens and Lightning match up by the numbers:
