2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Providing the skinny on Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
This is the preview you need for the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final.
All eyes will be on Amalie Arena tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final, with the winner getting the honor of lifting the greatest prize in all of sports.
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This showdown pits two Atlantic Division teams against each other although, due to the NHL realigning because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, this will be the first time all year that the Lightning and the Canadiens have locked horns, and it is also the rare instance when two Eastern Conference teams will meet in the Stanley Cup Final.
That is a fitting finale to what has been one of the strangest and most unprecedented seasons in the rich history of the National Hockey League, and it should be a mouthwatering series with the star-laden Lightning hoping to avoid an upset against the upstart Canadiens.
It all starts tonight so, without further ado, let’s delve right in and preview the 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens…
2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final Preview
The Skinny
History will be made over the next couple of weeks with the Tampa Bay Lightning hoping to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions having won the big one last year inside The Bubble, with the Pittsburgh Penguins the last team to achieve that incredibly hard feat (2015-16 / 2016-17).
It is very difficult to win one championship in the salary cap era, let alone two in a row, but this Lightning team is something special and they have the goaltending, the firepower and the depth needed to go back-to-back.
There will also be history made if the Canadiens shock the hockey world again by stunning the Lightning, with the Habs having not won the Stanley Cup since 1993, and there are a lot of comparisons to be made between this year’s team and the one that last tasted glory.
Canada hasn’t had a Stanley Cup champion in 28 years so the hopes of an entire country rest with the Canadiens, and that city will absolutely go off if the Habs are able to pull off one last giant shock.
How They Got Here
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat local rivals the Florida Panthers 4-2 in the First Round before taking down the Carolina Hurricanes in five games in the Second Round, but they were pushed all the way by a tough New York Islanders team in the Semifinals.
It has been quite the ride for the Montreal Canadiens who shocked the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they then swept the Winnipeg Jets in the Second Round before pulling off another upset by beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in the Semifinal.
Full 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Schedule
All times are ET.
Game 1: Canadiens at Lightning, Mon. June 28, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 2: Canadiens at Lightning, Wed. June 30, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 3: Lightning at Canadiens, Fri. July 2, 8 p.m. (NBC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 4: Lightning at Canadiens, Mon. July 5, 8 p.m. (NBC, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 5: Canadiens at Lightning, Wed. July 7, 8 p.m. (NBC, SN, CBC, TVAS)*
Game 6: Lightning at Canadiens, Fri. July 9, 8 p.m. (NBC, SN, CBC, TVAS)*
Game 7: Canadiens at Lightning, Sun. July 11, 7 p.m. (NBC, SN, CBC, TVAS)*
*IF NECESSARY
Things To Know
- The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to become the ninth team to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, and the first since the Pittsburgh Penguins did it in 2016 and 2017.
- The Montreal Canadiens will attempt to win their first Stanley Cup since 1993, and their 25th championship in franchise history.
- Canadiens Head Coach Dominque Ducharme remains in COVID-19 Protocol, but should be able to return for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
- Speaking of COVID-related complications, Montreal forward Joel Armia is expected to play in Game 1 tonight after clearing COVID-19 Protocol and flying to Tampa on a private jet earlier today.
- This will be the fourth postseason series between the two Atlantic Division rivals, with Tampa Bay having won two, including the 2015 Eastern Conference Second Round in six games.
- Given that both teams boast elite goaltenders, one stat worth remembering and keeping an eye on is the Canadiens are 11-0 in the Playoffs when scoring at least two goals.
- You can get up to speed with projected lineups, betting odds, lifestreams and everything else you need to know ahead of Game 1 right here.
Tale of the Tape
Record: Tampa Bay Lightning – 12-6 / Montreal Canadiens – 12-5
Goals For: Tampa Bay Lightning – 58 / Montreal Canadiens – 43
Goals Against: Tampa Bay Lightning – 37 / Montreal Canadiens – 37
Power Play %: Tampa Bay Lightning – 37.7% / Montreal Canadiens – 20.9%
Penalty Kill %: Tampa Bay Lightning – 83% / Montreal Canadiens – 93.5%
Team Leaders
Tampa Bay Lightning Postseason Leaders
- Nikita Kucherov: 27 points (5 G, 22 A)
- Brayden Point: 20 points (14 G, 6 A)
- Alex Killorn: 17 points (8 G, 9 A)
- Steven Stamkos: 17 points (7 G, 10 A)
- Victor Hedman: 16 points (1 G, 15 A)
Montreal Canadiens Postseason Leaders
- Tyler Toffoli: 14 points (5 G, 9 A)
- Nick Suzuki: 13 points (5 G, 8 A)
- Cole Caufield: 9 points (4 G, 5 A)
- Corey Perry: 9 points (3 G, 6 A)
- Joel Armia: 8 points (5 G, 3 A)
Special Teams
As you all know, you can’t be successful in the modern-day National Hockey League if you can’t execute on special teams, and there’s a reason why the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens are in the Stanley Cup Final.
Let’s start with the Lightning who are potent on the power play, although it shouldn’t come as a surprise given their abundance of riches.
They are 20-for-53 on the man advantage this postseason, which is a 37.7 percent clip, while 17 of Nikita Kucherov’s 27 Playoff points have come on the PP.
However, as good as Tampa is on the power play, the Canadiens are elite penalty killers and they enter the Stanley Cup Final having killed off 30 straight penalties in an NHL-record 13 straight Playoff games.
They have also scored more shorthanded goals (four) than they have allowed power play goals (three) this postseason, and their power play is also pretty good having gone 9-for-43 (20.9%) so far this postseason with seven different Habs converting on the man advantage.
Key Matchups
Carey Price vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy
There is no doubt that goaltending is going to play an absolutely huge role in the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Final, especially when you consider the men between the pipes for both teams.
Despite posting the second-lowest Save Percentage of his career during the regular season (.901), Price has morphed into vintage Carey Price in the postseason, carrying his team to within four games of the promised land.
Price has been playing at the peak of his powers, going 12-5-0 with a 2.02 Goals Against Average and a .934 Save Percentage, and if the Canadiens are to somehow pull off another shock and go all the way, then they will have it done so thanks in large to their future Hall of Famer.
Price isn’t the only elite goalie in the Stanley Cup Final, however, with Vasilevskiy potentially about to win the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his young career after carving out yet another hugely impressive regular season.
The 26-year-old hasn’t missed a beat in the Playoffs either, going 12-6-0 with a stellar .936 Save Percentage, a 1.99 Goals Against Average and four shutouts. If Vasilevskiy has another big series, then he could well add the Conn Smythe Trophy to his hardware collection.
Whoever comes out on top, this is a true goaltending duel for the ages and it is going to be an absolute treat to watch.
Shea Weber vs. Victor Hedman
Weber is going for his very first Stanley Cup and he’s both the leader and the heartbeat of this Canadiens team, providing them with a tough underbelly and you know he’s going to leave it all out there in every single shift.
The grizzled veteran has been logging an average of 25:38 during the postseason so far, excelling in his own zone with 31 blocked shots, laying on 54 hits and his bomb of a shot from the point is still a deadly weapon.
If there is a blueprint of how to build the perfect modern-day NHL defenseman, then the Lightning’s Victor Hedman would be it. The Norris Trophy finalist has 16 points (1 G, 15 A) in 18 postseason games while averaging 24:42 of ice time, and he’s an absolute horse who can play in all situations, provide offense and shutdown the opponent’s top line. If he has a big series, then Tampa will probably come out on top.
Depth vs. Depth
The story of the postseason for the Canadiens has been the fact that they have been getting contributions up and down the lineup, from veteran Corey Perry who has nine points (3 G, 6 A) to rookie stud Cole Caufield, who has exploded onto the NHL scene with four goals and five assists for nine points.
Young forward Nick Suzuki has also impressed with 13 points (5 G, 8 A), but Montreal relies on the sum of its parts and if they are to go all the way and lift Lord Stanley for the first time since 1993, then everyone up and down the lineup will need to play their part.
However, the Lightning also boast great depth and not only are they top heavy thanks to superstars in the ilk of Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, but they also have players like Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow who can provide offense, while Pat Maroon, who is trying to win his third Stanley Cup in as many years, will be tasked with knocking the Canadiens out of their stride.
Brayden Point vs. Tyler Toffoli
Point has been making history this postseason with his remarkable ability to light the lamp in every single game, scoring in nine straight Playoff games to really anchor this explosive Lightning offense.
The 25-year-old leads the Playoffs in goals with 14 and if he can solve the unstoppable Carey Price, then he could well end up leading Tampa Bay to postseason glory yet again and walking off with the Conn Smythe Trophy in the process.
While he hasn’t been as deadly as Point, nowhere near to be honest, Tyler Toffoli leads the Canadiens in points in the Playoffs with 14 (5 G, 9 A), and he has done a great job anchoring a young second-line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
As great as it is that Montreal gets contributions from up and down the lineup, they will need someone to step up and shoulder the load in the Stanley Cup Final, and Toffoli could well be that man.
Overall Verdict
This is going to be closer than a lot of people think and I fully expect this to go six or seven games with Carey Price doing whatever he can to keep the Montreal Canadiens alive in the series.
If Price stays hot, the PK continues to get it done and Montreal continues to get offensive contributions from up and down the lineup, then they will have a great chance of taking the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time in 28 years.
Next. Stanley Cup Final Predictions. dark
However, the Tampa Bay Lightning are an absolute juggernaut and, while Price will be their toughest opponent thus far, they will score if they get enough opportunities and their red-hot power play, coupled with their own monster in goal in Andrei Vasilevskiy, could propel them to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Let the games begin!