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Lightning @ Canadiens: Lay It On The Line | HABS GAME 4 PREVIEW

Rick Stephens

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

Game Preview

A Look Back

Nothing has gone right for the Habs in this series and they see themselves down three games to none. It will be an enormous task to win four straight in order to win the Stanley Cup. It looked like nerves got the best of the Habs last game as the mistakes continued, putting them behind from the start. It was a hole they were never able to climb out of. The biggest culprit has been the turnovers time and time again. It’s mistakes not Carey Price who is to blame for the position the Habs find themselves in. He has done his best to keep them in games.

Last game: MTL 3  TBL 6 | Lightning lead series 3-0

For a complete game recap: Lightning @ Canadiens: Buried By Mistakes | HABS GAME 3 RECAP

Players to Watch

  • Shea Weber
    This is the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup in Weber’s career. As captain he needs to lead his team on and off the ice. Weber has been very consistent in the playoffs despite being injured. He will have to find a way to spark his team tonight.
  • Carey Price
    Habs have leaned on Price for years and he has done a phenomenal job keeping them in games they shouldn’t be in. Price has simply been victimized by his team’s play. A shutdown performance for the ages in an elimination game could just be what the team needs to turn this series around.
  • Brendan Gallagher
    Gallagher has done what he can but it hasn’t been enough. This is a game where Gallagher can’t hold back. We know he’s beaten up but he is what gets this team going and he needs to be all over the ice doing anything he can to provide motivation.

Keys to Victory

  • Limit turnovers
    Turnovers again cost the Habs for the third straight game. It happens, but these turnovers have been painful as many have been preventable. If the Habs can stop hurting themselves the game will stay within their reach.
  • Score first
    The Lightning have gotten the first goal in every game and often it has come early. If this happens again the Habs will be in trouble making scoring first the most important thing they have to do.
  • Play desperate hockey
    This should be the most desperate game of hockey the Habs play all season. Their backs are against the wall and they have nothing to lose at this point. Every inch of ice should be fought over and players cannot let the Lightning get away anything.
Statistical Matchup for Stanley Cup Final, Game 4
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC | July 5, 8:00 PM ET | TV: CBC, SN, TVAS, NBC

2020-21 Playoff statistics
LIGHTNING CANADIENS
— Points (rank) —
15-6 Record 12-8
– Last 10 –
36.7 (2nd) PP% (rank) 20.4 (8th)
83.0 (4th) PK% (rank) 90.6 (1st)
48.0 Faceoff% 49.4
3.43 GF/G 2.40
2.00 GA/G 2.55
47.72  CF% 48.94
Pre-game Quotes
Dominique Ducharme
  • “We wanted to get the line of Byron, Evans and Lehkonen back together. We believe it’s a good line for tonight. We didn’t want to separate the duos of Danault and Gallagher, Suzuki and Caufield, and the Staal line. We’re using our depth. On defense, we wanted to add more dynamic skaters. That’s why Romanov and Kulak will play.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Palat – Point – Kucherov
Colton – Cirelli – Stamkos
Goodrow – Gourde – Coleman
Maroon – Johnson – Joseph		 Toffoli – Danault – Gallagher
Anderson – Suzuki – Caufield
Byron – Evans – Lehkonen
Perry – Staal – Armia
Defensemen
Hedman – Rutta
McDonagh – Cernak
Sergachev – Savard		 Chiarot – Weber
Edmundson – Petry
Romanov – Kulak
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Smith, Schenn
Injured: Killorn		 Scratched: Frolik, Lindgren, Tatar, Ouellet,  Kotkaniemi, Gustafsson, Merrill
Injured: Drouin (undisclosed)
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy Carey Price
Record: 16-6
GAA: 1.94
Sv%: .938
SO: 4
Alternate: Curtis McElhinney		 Record: 12-8
GAA: 2.36
Sv%: .921
SO: 1
Alternate: Jake Allen
 Game Expectations
The Habs have to pull off the almost impossible, win four games in a row against the defending champions. It’s hard to think about but the Habs will take this one game at a time. If there is a game to steal for the Habs it will be this one and the Habs need Carey Price to be their best player. This is a very deep team that hasn’t played well at all and given that there is nothing to lose, the Habs will be able to relax and play their game,  forcing a game five.

Bottom Line

Anything can happen yet but the Habs have to treat this game like a war and it’s all or nothing. If they don’t have that type of effort and belief, it might be a tough night.
 Video Highlights

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