The Tampa Bay Lightning know their opponent for the first round of the playoffs, and it's not an easy draw by any means. While home ice advantage is still up for grabs, it's been confirmed that the Lightning will face the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs for the fifth time in franchise history. This season, the Lightning and Canadiens, who are coached by former Lightning captain Martin St. Louis, played four times. The Lightning won both of the early season matchups in December, while the Canadiens took home the victory in both late season games in March and April. Both teams are currently tied with 106 points and just a single game remaining, as a result, home ice advantage will be determined in their final games of the season. The Lightning do hold the tiebreaker though, so as things stand, they would have the advantage. Historically, these teams have met in the playoffs four times. Ironically, in two of those seasons the Lightning walked away as Stanley Cup Champions. Most recently, the Lightning defeated the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final during the peculiar 2020-21 season. That remains the Lightning's most recent Stanley Cup victory. Looking back even further into the past, the Lightning swept the Canadiens in the Conference Semi-Finals during the 2003-04 season. The John Tortorella led Lightning went on to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, defeating the Calgary Flames in seven games. The Lightning and Canadiens also faced one another in back-to-back postseasons in the mid-2010s. The Canadiens swept the Lightning in the first round of the 2013-14 season, then the Lightning got their revenge in 2014-15 by defeating the Canadiens in the second round. The playoff schedule has yet to be released, as seeding still needs to be finalized. The Lightning do still have one more regular season game though, as they'll host the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
