Tensions are high as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens prepare for Game 6 of their First Round matchup. The Lightning are fighting for their season, as they head back to Montreal on Friday night.
Ahead of Game 6, Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky was critical of Lightning defenseman Max Crozier in a pre-game media availability due to a heavy hit by Crozier in Game 4. Slafkovsky left the game temporarily after the hit, but returned to the ice later in the night.
The hit helped the Lightning launch a comeback and pull of a win in Game 4, but when Slafkovsky was asked about the hit ahead of Game 6, he replied in a somewhat impudent manner. "He got a good hit, it's good for a guy who doesn't play much, so maybe it makes him play a little more," Slafkovsky said.
Crozier has only played in two of the Lightning's five games in the playoffs, after missing 26 games late in the regular season. While in the lineup, Crozier has averaged 14:47 of ice time.
“It was just a clean, solid check," Crozier said of the hit after Game 4. "I was able to time it up right, and it felt good.”
Crozier is expected to be out of the lineup for Game 6, as Charle-Edouard D'Astous is expected to return to the Lightning's blue line after missing four games.
Although the Lightning certainly shouldn't need any additional motivation with their season on the line, Slafkovsky's words may have put a little extra fuel on the fire.