Winning Game 1 on the road was a big accomplishment for the Montreal Canadiens, but winning Game 2 and taking a 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning back to Montreal would be absolutely huge.
The Montreal Canadiens will hope to pick up right where they left off when the puck drops on Game 2 of their best-of-seven series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but chances are the Bolts will have adjusted. Coach Jon Cooper was far from pleased with his team’s performance after their 4-3 overtime loss. Speaking to the media after the game, he said:
I mean, come on, we took four offensive-zone penalties. Just look at them. That’s not over-aggression. That’s just stupidity, you know, a lot of them. That was on us. That was a game that we just allowed them to win. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs. This isn’t Game 62. So that is extremely disappointing in the way we conducted ourselves and the amount of penalties we took.
It shouldn’t have surprised anyone then that on Monday, while the Canadiens held a practice lasting around 15 minutes, Cooper put his men through a much longer one. Tampa has no interest in going down 2-0 in this series, but the fact is that their home record in the playoffs since the spring of 2023 stands at one win and eight losses. In overtime, they are 0-5 in the same time span. Needless to say, the heat is on.
Historically, the Bolts have a 24-15 record in Game 2 overall; at home, they are 13-8. However, when they trail 1-0 in a series, they have a 12-11 record overall and an 8-5 record at home for a .615 winning percentage. As for the Canadiens, they have a record of 82-43 in Game 2 overall but are 24-22 on the road. When they lead 1-0 in a series, they are 64-11 overall and 10-3 on the road for an enviable .769 winning percentage.
Martin St-Louis didn’t discuss his lineup yesterday, which is no surprise, but given Sunday’s result, it would be surprising if he made any changes to his lineup. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any in the series. The coach has some good options waiting in the wings, such as Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno up front, and David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom on the back end.
With the Laval Rocket having won their division, they have a bye in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, meaning the young defensemen might as well stay with the Canadiens and get a feel for the Stanley Cup playoffs, even if it’s just in practice. The Rocket will either face the Toronto Marlies or the Rochester Americans in the Division Semifinal. Should it be the Marlies, the series will start on April 29; if it’s the Americans, the date is to be determined. Once Laval starts playing, one of the two youngsters will more than likely be sent down to help.
All eyes will be on the Canadiens’ first line tonight. They’ve been the team’s offensive dynamo all season, but in Game 1, they were unable to make an impact. If the Canadiens are to win the series, they will need that line to elevate its play. In the 10 minutes that Nick Suzuki’s line spent on the ice at even strength against the Anthony Cirelli line, the Lightning led 9-2 in attempted shots.
On Tampa’s side, Charles-Edouard D’Astous, who left game one after being simultaneously hit by Josh Anderson and Jake Evans, is doubtful to play on Tuesday night. As for Dominic James, who momentarily exited the game after colliding with Arber Xhekaj in his first shift, it doesn’t seem like there was lasting damage since he did practice yesterday.
One thing to watch on Tuesday night is whether the referees are as strict on penalties as they were in Game 1; if so, players will need to adjust in a hurry. Both teams have proven they have efficient power-play units, and, as evidenced by the Canadiens’ overtime win in Game 1, an ill-timed penalty can be very costly.
Frederick L'Ecuyer and Graham Skilliter will officiate, while Jesse Marquis and Andrew Smith will be the linemen; none of them were on duty in Game 1. The game is set for 7:00 PM at the Benchmark International Arena, and you can catch it on The Spot, ESPN2, SN, TVAS, and CBC.
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