Lightning hold underdog Habs in high regard
MONTREAL — Full respect.
It’s what Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning have had for the Montreal Canadiens from afar during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
That’s certainly not going to change when the teams meet in the best-of-seven final, starting tonight with Game 1 in Tampa.
As the Lightning go about trying to become the third National Hockey League team in the past 25 years to win the Cup in back-to-back years, they won’t sell themselves short in preparing to face a Canadiens team that has crushed the odds to reach the final after finishing 18th overall during the regular season.
“They’ve been on a great run and you don’t get to the final by luck,” Stamkos, the Lightning captain, said. “Every team that gets there deserves it.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge for us. That’s where we go back to all of the times that we’ve been in this situation with this core. Some guys, this is their third final.”
It will be fascinating to learn whether the past experiences for the Lightning help give them an edge in the next couple of weeks.
Go back to the 2015 final, when Tampa lost in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks. Seven players from that series — forwards Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Stamkos, defenceman Victor Hedman and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy — remain with the team.
Coach Jon Cooper had finished his second full year behind the Lightning bench.
After that disappointment, and before beating the Dallas Stars in six games in the Edmonton bubble to win the Cup last September, the Lightning lost in the conference final twice and was upset in the first round by Columbus in 2019.
“We’ve come such a long way,” Cooper said.
“I’ve been with this group for a while. And through (former general manager) Steve Yzerman to (GM) Julian Brisebois and (owner) Jeff Vinik, the leadership has been exceptional.
“It’s so damn hard to win in this league. But last year I found out we can win in different ways and just the warrior mentality this group has.
“It was all building blocks to get to here and you can’t predict that. Look, we haven’t won the Stanley Cup this year. We are chasing it just like Montreal is, but to be down to the final two teams in back-to-back years, it’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment.”
The Canadiens have nothing similar in their recent history. On the way to the final in 2015, the Lightning eliminated the Canadiens in the second round in the teams’ most recent playoff meeting.
From that Montreal club, only forward Brendan Gallagher, defenceman Jeff Petry and goalie Carey Price remain with the Canadiens.
Prior to their present charge through the postseason, the Canadiens did not qualify in three of the years since 2015 and twice lost in the first round.
Did Montreal require the mountain of playoff scars that the Maple Leafs seem to think are needed to reach the final? No.
Still, as Stamkos said, the Canadiens fully earned their first berth in the final since 1993, when they won against the Los Angeles Kings.
There’s really not much to separate the two teams, usually Atlantic Division foes, as they clash for the first time in 2021.
Pick Price or Vasilevskiy for a game you absolutely need to win and you probably get that victory, no matter your choice.
Tampa has averaged 29.8 shots through 18 playoff games; Montreal has averaged 29.1 in 17 games.
The Lightning scores more than the Canadiens do (3.22 goals a game to 2.53), but defensively, it’s nearly a draw. Tampa has allowed 2.06 goals a game, Montreal 2.18.
“For us, they’re a roadblock,” Cooper said. “But it’s clear by watching them on TV how good they are and how they’ve got their mojo going and are led by their goaltender. It’s going to be a fun series.
“On the road, (the Bell Centre in Montreal is) my favourite building to be in. It’s a phenomenal environment.
“I hope they let more fans in there. They deserve to watch their team play.”
The Lightning can’t predict how the series will unfold. As New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz said a few times during the semifinal, the playoffs often don’t happen as they were envisioned by the participants.
Stamkos can provide one ironclad, no-argument guarantee.
“We have to buckle up for another great series,” Stamkos said, “because it’s the best time in the world.”