TEAM COMPARISONS
They aren’t called the comeback kids for nothing. The Canadiens rallied yet again on Sunday, erasing a deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 at Lenovo Center. It marked a franchise-record 25th comeback win of the season, and a fifth straight victory for Montreal. Since the trade deadline, the Habs own a 9-3-1 record, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins for the best mark in the NHL over that span. As of Tuesday, they’ve built an eight-point cushion over the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia, who are currently the top teams chasing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Lightning have climbed back into first place in the Atlantic Division after briefly ceding the top spot to the Buffalo Sabres. Tampa Bay enters Tuesday’s matchup riding a seven-game point streak (5-0-2) and has gone 7-2-1 in its last 10 contests, a stretch over which both clubs rank among the league’s top five teams.
SEASON SERIES
Dec. 9 vs. TBL: 6-1 TBL
Dec. 28 @ TBL: 5-4 TBL (SO)
Mar. 31 @ TBL:
Apr. 9 vs. TBL:
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
To no one’s surprise, Nick Suzuki is delivering when it matters most. The Canadiens captain has piled up 10 points and a plus-7 rating over his last five games, helping steer Montreal to crucial wins at a pivotal point in the season.
As for Nikita Kucherov, dominance might be an understatement. The Lightning star has racked up 25 points in his last 11 outings — including five games with three points or more — and now sits at 121 points in just 67 appearances this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: HABS-BOLTS
Here’s how the Canadiens and Lightning match up by the numbers:
