GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Preview, TV, Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets, NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Series

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The Habs have done the improbable and now they are four wins away from winning the Stanley Cup, but to get there, they have to go through the defending champions. It’s going to be an uphill battle as the Habs are once again the underdogs. The Lightning are a deep team who know how to win and are prepared to go back to back. The Habs are going to need to rise the occasion with several players going above expectations to have a chance of becoming champions. The Habs know it doesn’t matter what they have accomplished if they can’t finish it and the team has a ton of belief that they can get it done.

Last game: MTL 3  VGK 2 (OT) | Canadiens win series 4-2

For a complete game recap: Golden Knights @ Canadiens: A Ticket to the Stanley Cup Final | HABS GAME 6 RECAP

Players to Watch

• Carey Price
  The Habs will be going up against the best offense in the NHL and are going to need Price to keep them in every game and likely steal a game or two. Price has been outstanding these playoffs.
• Phillip Danault
  Three points in seventeen games is not why Danault is going to be a difference maker. The Danault line will be tasked with shutting down Brayden Point who has scored in ten straight games. If Danault can do his part, including contributing offensively, the Habs will be happy matching their depth with the Lightning.
• Cole Caufield 
  It’s almost impossible to believe that the Habs are depending on a twenty year-old who was playing college hockey a few months ago but Caufield continues to perform and is a huge reason this team has made it this far. Caufield is about to be tested. The Lightning are going to play him hard and make him uncomfortable. Caufield rising to the challenge could be a deciding factor in this series.

Keys to Victory

• Stay disciplined
  A big reason the Habs have made it this far has been their ability to play on the edge but remain disciplined. As soon the Habs cross that line they will be playing with fire, even if they have a red hot on penalty kill, they may not want to test that against Tampa’s power-play.
• Get net front presence
  The Habs have played several great goalies so far but none can steal a game like Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Habs know they have to make his life miserable and be parked in the blue paint every chance they get to disrupt him. Look for Brendan Gallagher and Corey Perry to be key players but it will take every player willing to go to the dirty areas and sacrifice the body in order to get to Vasilevskiy.
• Stick to the game plan
  A lot has been said that the Lightning are comfortable playing any style of game. That said they haven’t played the Habs. Montreal know they have to stick to exactly what they have done to the Leafs, Jets and Knights. The Lightning aren’t likely to get as frustrated but if the Habs stick with the game plan and it works, it will affect the Lightning and that is when the Habs can capitalize.

2020-21 Playoff statistics

• “There’s going to be a lot of emotion going into the first game. It’s so important. You’re going to see a tight and close game. It’ll be physical out there. But, you’ve got to be smart at the same time and you’ve got to pick your opportunities to go into those areas. We’re excited for the opportunity. We’ve got a lot of energy in our locker room and a lot of confidence. I think it’s going to be a long series. It’s going to be fun to watch and play.”

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