8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM
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Here are five things you should know about Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final between the Canadiens and the Lightning at Amalie Arena Monday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
The match: This is the fourth playoff meeting between these teams which are, in normal times, division rivals. The Lightning, looking for a third Stanley Cup, swept the Canadiens in 2004 en route to the their first. The Canadiens swept the Lightning in 2014 but Tampa Bay turned the tables in 2015 with a six-game series win. In their most recent regular-season action, Tampa Bay swept a four-game season series in 2019-20, outscoring the Canadiens 14-6.
Goaltending is the key: Goaltending becomes crucial as teams tighten their defences in the playoffs, and this series offers two of the best. Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 1.99 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage after shutting out the Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of their semifinal series, while Carey Price has a 2.02 GAA a a .934 save percentage. The Lightning has given Price trouble over the years. He has an 8-8 playoff record against Tampa Bay and a 14-19-6 regular-season record with a 2.64 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has never faced the Canadiens in the playoffs but he has an excellent regular-season record of 11-1-2 with a 1.98 GAA and a .938 save percentage.
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COVID-19 sidelines Armia again: The Canadiens flew to Florida Sunday without forward Joel Armia, who is in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol for the second time this season. Armia had a positive test in March and had received his second dose of vaccine two weeks ago. The Finn will be tested again Monday and, if he tests negative, he could rejoin the team. The setback will give Jake Evans another chance to rejoin the lineup. He was injured in the first game of the opening series against Toronto and missed four games. He has been sidelined since the Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele hit him in Game 1 of their series, giving Evans a concussion.
Strength against strength: Corey Perry said the Canadiens have to stay out of the penalty box against the Lightning, which feasts on the power play, scoring 20 power-play goals on 53 opportunities for a 37.7-per-cent success rate. Nikita Kucherov has scored 17 of his playoff-best 27 points on the power play while Brayden Point has seven of his playoff-leading 14 goals on the power play. The Canadiens counter with the best penalty-kill in the playoffs. Montreal has killed off a record 30 consecutive penalties over their last 13 games.
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Here’s the offence: Kucherov, who missed the entire regular season after hip surgery, leads the playoff scoring race with 27 points and Tampa has the five top scorers in the playoffs. Point, who had a goal in nine consecutive games, has 20 points including a playoff-best 14 goals. He is followed by former Lac St-Louis star Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos with 17 each and defenceman Victor Hedman with 16. Tyler Toffoli leads the Canadiens with 14 points, one more than Nick Suzuki. Toffoli, Suzuki, Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each have five goals. Cole Caufield leads all rookies in points (nine) and goals (four).
Prediction: Canadiens in seven.
Schedule
Game 1: Monday, 8 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Game 2: Wednesday, 8 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, TVA Sports
Game 3: Friday, 8 p.m., at Montreal, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports
Game 4: July 5, 8 p.m., at Montreal, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*Game 5: July 7, 8 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*Game 6: July 9, 8 p.m., at Montreal, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*Game 7: July 11, 7 p.m., at Tampa, CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, OMNI
*If necessary
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Canadiens at Lightning, Game 1: Five things you should know - Montreal Gazette
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