Lightning take fight to Canada
Montreal at home after dominating but losing Game 2
Corey Perry walked into the locker room after his 164th career NHL playoff game and 19th with the Montreal Canadiens and told his teammates to savor the experience.
“This is hockey,” Perry said. “It’s fun. Enjoy it.”
It would have been far more enjoyable for the Canadiens had they won, which they probably deserved by outplaying the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. Instead, they showed they could hang with the defending champions but still trail the series 2-0 and go home to Montreal needing to win one of Games 3 and 4 to avoid a sweep and the end of their season.
The Lightning looked like dominant favorites in the series opener. They will certainly take the Game 2 victory thanks to Andrei Vasilevskiy’s goaltending and Blake Coleman’s timely scoring, but they now know they’re in for a fight.
“I think it’s probably a little stock correction for us in how we approach the rest of this series,” coach Jon Cooper said of winning 3-1 despite being outshot 43-23. “I give our guys credit for pulling this one out, but we’re in the final, man. This can be hard.”
It’s unusual for a team up two games to none to face the pressure of adjusting and fixing things, but that’s the cold reality for the Lightning. Their initial dominance feels like a distant memory going into Game 3 Friday night at Bell Centre, and the attrition is starting to pile up.
Fourth-leading scorer Alex Killorn was expected to travel with the team after missing Game 2 with an undisclosed injury, but his status was uncertain. A handful of other players absorbed hits that required treatment, and Tampa Bay’s depth could be tested if this series drags on.
Game 2 goal-scorer Anthony Cirelli said he and his teammates “have the mentality of ‘next guy up’ and keep going.” But Mathieu Joseph played just 6:25 as Killorn’s replacement, and some major adjustments are needed for the Lightning as a team after getting the play taken to them.
Notes: Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel is nearing a resolution with the team over how to treat a herniated disk following a lengthy discussion with general manager Kevyn Adams . ... The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson from Nashville in exchange for two draft picks.