2021 Stanley Cup Final: 3 compelling storylines to watch in Game 3
1. All or Nothing
Hosting their First Stanley Cup Final game since 1993, the Montreal Canadiens will be motivated to put on a show in Game 3 tonight.
Given that they are also 2-0 down in the series, they will need to play with a certain amount of risk to avoid going 3-0 down and face a possible sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who proved in Game 2 that they can still find a way to win even when they aren’t at their best.
As such, it will be fascinating to see how the Habs approach the first 10 minutes or so of the first period, and they will be wary of the fact that Tampa is 14-2 in Playoff games when it scores first having done so in both Games 1 & 2.
They are 0-4 when allowing the first goal, however, and the Canadiens are 11-2 in games when they light the lamp first, so there will be a certain amount of pressure on them to come out swinging and land the first blow.
Next. Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Primer. dark
If they can do just that and if Carey Price can have a monster game between the pipes, then things will look good for Montreal and they will be backed by 3,500 fans who, though small in numbers, will make plenty of noise in the hope that it inspires their team to strike back in this series and make it a best-of-four.