The Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the first round on Sunday. The Canadiens will certainly be looking to start the series with a victory against a very good Bolts club. One question surrounding the Lightning heading into the playoffs is Victor Hedman's availability. The star defenseman has not played since exiting the Lightning's March 19 game against the Vancouver Canucks. He also announced on March 25 that he would be taking a leave of absence. Now, the Lightning have provided an update on Hedman ahead of their series against the Canadiens. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shared with reporters that Hedman is joining the team for their road trip against the Canadiens but is still unavailable to play, as TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported [https://x.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/2045539189387559090]. With Hedman being the Lightning's best defenseman, the Canadiens should be looking to take advantage of the Bolts while they are shorthanded. However, even with Hedman sidelined, the Lightning should be a very tough opponent, as they have plenty of star talent elsewhere. In 33 games this season with the Lightning, Hedman had one goal, 17 points, and a minus-1 rating.
