3 Things to Watch: Canadiens at Lightning, Game 1 of Eastern Conference 1st Round

(3A) Canadiens at (2A) Lightning

Eastern Conference First Round, Game 1

Sunday, 5:45 p.m. ET; The Spot, HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC

TAMPA -- Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens is at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa on Sunday. 

But Montreal defenseman Jayden Struble said the playoffs between the two Atlantic Division rivals began on April 9 when the Canadiens defeated the Lightning 2-1 in a game that had 126 combined penalty minutes. 

"Last time we played was definitely a playoff game, super-energetic, physical," Struble said Saturday.  "Every game means a lot, but that one just meant more. It'll be a heated series, very competitive. I think we are ready for it."

So are the Lightning.

"I think it's going to be a really good series," Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel said, "You got to play with that emotion, you got to play with heart."

When the puck drops on Game 1 Sunday, the Lightning hope that emotion and heart will help them get off to a fast start, something they have been unable do to lately.

In their past four playoff series, dating to the 2022 Cup Final, they have lost Game 1 three times. They have been eliminated in the first round the past three seasons after three straight trips to the Cup Final, including winning it in 2020 and 2021. 

The Canadiens are back in the playoffs for the second straight season. They lost the first round to the Washington Capitals in five games last season.

The Lightning and Canadiens each had 106 points this season, the Lightning getting home-ice advantage in the series because they had 40 wins in regulation to Montreal's 34. 

"These are two 106-point teams," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "That's how close they are. I think it's going to be a heck of a series."

Here are three things to watch in Game 1: 

1. That's offensive 

Two of the most dynamic goal-scorers in the NHL this season will go head-to-head with Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov and Montreal's Cole Caufield on opposite sides. 

Kucherov was second in the NHL this season with 130 points (44 goals, 86 assists), while Caufield (51 goals) became the first Canadiens player to score at least 50 in a season since Stephane Richer in 1989-90. 

Add to that Jake Guentzel (38 goals) and Brandon Hagel (36 goals) for the Lightning and Nick Suzuki (101 points) with the Canadiens, and it's possible there could plenty of scoring in this series.

Enter goalies Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, and rookie Jakub Dobes of the Canadiens. 

"Vasilevskiy's been maybe the best goalie over the last five, six years," Suzuki said. "He definitely knows how to win. He's going to maybe be a Vezina winner, but I think we have confidence in our goalies.

"I think they showed down the stretch they can win big games, make big saves. We have all the confidence in them."

2. Plenty of fireworks

In addition to the 126 penalty minutes (71 for Tampa Bay, 55 for Montreal) between the teams on April 9, they combined for 62 (32 for Montreal, 30 for Tampa Bay) in a game on March 31. 

Though the teams will be likely be careful to stay out of the penalty box, don't expect the animosity between the two to cool. 

"I expect the same intensity," Hagel said. "I think that's when we're at our best. I think it's going to be a lot more controlled; you don't want to be in the penalty box. I think special teams is a massive part of the playoffs, but at the same time, I think we're going to bring the same mentality and intensity."

Struble agrees.

"We don't want to start the scrums and get in the penalty box, but we'll be in there (scrums) if they want to," Struble said. "Just get in there being for each other, sticking up for each other, just not being that instigator and hurting the team."

3. Are you experienced?

The Lightning are in the postseason for the ninth straight season. Ten players on their roster have won the Stanley Cup, including eight who won it twice in 2020 and 2021. The Canadiens are in the postseason for the second straight year and have one player who has won the Stanley Cup (Alex Newhook with Colorado in 2022).

Still, the Canadiens say getting in last season, even though they lost in five games to the Capitals, will help this season. 

"Experience was valuable because I know what to expect in those games," said Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov, who played two regular-season games before playing five in the playoffs in 2024-25. "(I'm) 100 percent more prepared for this one. I spent the whole season here, pretty sure I'm prepared enough."

For Hagel, who played in the Cup Final for the Lightning in 2022 and hasn't won a round since, that experience of losing drives him and his team this time around. 

"Long summers aren't that fun," Hagel said. "Everyone dreams of this moment, at the end of the day there was a message that was sent at the start of the year, and all 25 guys have bought into that."

Canadiens projected lineup

Cole Caufield -- Nick Suzuki -- Juraj Slafkovsky

Alexandre Texier -- Alex Newhook -- Ivan Demidov

Zachary Bolduc -- Oliver Kapanen -- Kirby Dach

Jake Evans -- Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson

Mike Matheson -- Alexandre Carrier

Kaiden Guhle -- Lane Hutson

Jayden Struble -- Xhekaj Arber

Jakub Dobes

Jacob Fowler

Scratched: Brendan Gallagher, Joe Veleno, Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher

Injured: Patrik Laine (lower body); Noah Dobson (upper body)

Lightning projected lineup

Gage Goncalves -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov

Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Jake Guentzel

Zemgus Girgensons -- Yanni Gourde -- Nick Paul

Corey Perry -- Dominic James -- Oliver Bjorkstrand

J.J. Moser -- Darren Raddysh

Ryan McDonagh -- Erik Cernak

Charle-Edouard D'Astous -- Emil Lilleberg

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Jonas Johansson

Scratched: Scott Sabourin, Declan Carlile, Max Crozier

Injured: Pontus Holmberg (upper body), Victor Hedman (personal leave)

Status report

Neither team will hold a morning skate Sunday. … Carrier was reunited with Matheson at practice on Saturday. They were a defense pair last season but have not played together this season. Carrier practiced with Hutson on Friday. … Guhle moved from the right side with Matheson on Friday to the left side with Hutson, who moved from left to right. … Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he's hopeful James will play. He has been out since Feb. 28 with a lower-body injury. … Cooper said Hedman, a defenseman, is with the team, but he's "not available right now."