Game One: Canadiens at Lightning – Start off on the right foot

Game One: Montreal Canadiens (0-0) at Tampa Bay Lightning (0-0)

Time: 5:45 PM EST

Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Florida

TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, TNT, HBOMax, TruTV, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -185

Know the Opponents: Habs Eyes on the Prize

The previews are done. We’ve talked all we can on how we think this series is going to go, and now it’s time for the action on the ice. After a long, fairly successful season that had a few detours along the way, the Tampa Bay Lightning are where they wanted to be – in the playoffs. Now the real fun begins.

After three seasons of premature exits from the post-season, the Lightning are looking to justify some of the pre-season hype that they generated as they take on the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round of the playoffs. The big challenge they are facing lies in the Canadiens overall team speed. Montreal is built to fly up and down the ice while the Lightning are, well…not.

What the Bolts are built for is to play systematic, disciplined hockey. If they execute their game plan, their overall talent should be at a higher level than Montreal. It’s that whole execution part of the equation that the Lightning have had trouble with at times during the season. Most of the time when they’ve struggled it’s been their own fault. Yes, other teams have put pressure on them, but choppy passing, unforced turnovers, and failed clearing attempts are usually the thing obstacles the Bolts trip over when they’re in a slump.

With a few days off the ice, and a few full practices under their belts, the team should be in a position to come out strong on home ice, in front of a crowd that is waiting for them to put some pucks into the net. Tampa Bay has all but admitted that they play better when their emotion levels are up and they’re engaged in the game. If they can’t come out of the gates fired up for this one, well, that’s a problem.

The Lightning need to dictate the pace of play in this game, and that means controlling the neutral zone. Montreal, especially their top line, loves to attack off the rush. The best way to slow that down is to deny them clean skating or passing lanes in the middle of the ice. If the Bolts can get the forecheck going and slow their breakouts, it’ll let them clog up the neutral zone and negate the pace Montreal wants to play at.

At the same time, the Lightning want to get their cycle game going to produce those shots from the blueline and get traffic in front of Jakub Dubas. This game, and the series overall, is going to be won or lost in the Montreal zone. If the Lightning can win the puck battles along the boards, force turnovers or bad passes from the defense, and sustain long shifts at Montreal’s end of the ice the odds should be in their favor.

For once, they are actually helped by the injury gods as it appears one of the Habs best defensemen, Noah Dobson, is going to be out for, at the very least, the first half of the series. He is probably their most reliable blueliner, and replacing his 20 minutes a night on the ice won’t be easy for them.

Tampa Bay should be getting a bit more speed up front as it appears Dominic James is ready to return from his injury. The rookie will likely center the fourth line with Corey Perry on one side and either Scott Sabourin or Oliver Bjorkstrand on the other. James is at his best in the neutral zone where he can use his skating ability to carry the puck into the zone, something that the Bolts have struggled with down the stretch a little.

Will this be a physical series? In some respects yes. Will it be the dumpster fire that the last two games of the regular season were? That’s unlikely. Yes, the Bolts want to be the more physical team, but they also know that an endless parade to the penalty box isn’t the way to win playoff games. Throughout the season they’ve been the better 5v5 team, and while regular season stats might go by the wayside come playoff time, the habits that build those stats don’t.

The Lightning need to focus on playing a clean game with the puck. If they can do that, they can put themselves in a good spot to win the game and the series.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards:

Defense:

Goaltenders:

Montreal Canadiens

Forwards:

Defense:

Goaltenders: