Canadiens in Lightning: Five Things You Need to Know

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Lightning has the best record in the NHL (20-6-4), while the Habs rank 31st overall (7-21-3), three points ahead of last place, Arizona.

Author of the article:

Stu cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publication date:

December 28, 2021 • 49 minutes ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation

Lightning's Steven Stamkos reacts after scoring the game-winning goal against Bruins goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman this month. Stamkos leads his team in scoring with totals of 14-21-35.
Lightning’s Steven Stamkos reacts after scoring the game-winning goal against Bruins goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman this month. Stamkos leads his team in scoring with totals of 14-21-35. Photo by Brian Fluharty. /USA TODAY Sports

Here are five things to know about Tuesday’s game between the Canadiens (7-21-3) and the Lightning (20-6-4) at Amalie Arena in Tampa. (7 pm, TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Stanley Cup rematch: This will be the second game this season between last season’s Stanley Cup finalists after the Lightning beat the Canadiens 3-2 on December 7 at the Bell Center. Former Canadian Corey Perry scored in that game and is 6-6-12 in 30 games this season with Tampa. The Lightning have the best record in the NHL, while the Canadiens rank 31st overall, three points ahead of recent Arizona Coyotes (6-21-2), who have two games in hand.

Stamkos leads Lightning: Captain Steven Stamkos leads the Lightning in scoring with totals of 14-21-35 and ranks sixth in the NHL scoring race. The Lightning’s Victor Hedman ranks first among NHL defenders in scoring with totals of 7-24-31. Montreal native Alex Killorn ranks third in the Lightning in scoring with 9-16-25 totals. Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with totals of 6-12-18, which has him tied for 123rd in NHL scoring. Chris Wideman leads the Canadiens’ defenders with totals of 2-7-9, which has him tied for 83rd among NHL defenders.

Back in Point? Lightning forward Brayden Point could return to the lineup against the Canadiens after missing 14 games with an upper body injury. “Getting closer, feeling pretty good,” Point said Monday. “I’m still a little rusty, obviously, but I think everyone is coming out of the Christmas break. I’m excited to do full reps in training and I’m looking forward to playing again. ” Point was 7-6-13 totals in 16 games before injuring himself. The Lightning are 11-2-1 without him. “When the team is winning, it makes it easier,” Point said. The Lightning still do not have forward Nikita Kucherov, who underwent surgery on Oct. 26 for a lower body injury.

Goalkeeper problems: Goalkeeper Jake Allen was one of five players the Canadiens placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, along with defenders Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, Jeff Petry and Chris Wideman. Those five players join forwards Laurent Dauphin, Mike Hoffman, Artturi Lehkonen and Tyler Toffoli, who were already on the roster. The Canadiens called in goalkeeper Cayden Primeau of the AHL Laval Rocket to take Allen’s place on the roster and also called in goalkeeper Michael McNiven, who was placed in the taxi squad. Both Lightning goalkeepers, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott, are on the COVID-19 protocol list, along with forwards Anthony Cirelli and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and defenders Mikhail Sergachev and Andrej Sustr. Maxime Lagace, who has been playing for AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, is expected to start in goal against the Canadiens. Lagace is 3-3-0 with an average of 3.86 goals against and a .861 save percentage in the AHL.

Reference-montrealgazette.com

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