2021 Stanley Cup Final: 3 Big Takeaways from Game 3 as Bolts on cusp of repeating

2. Sergachev – The one that got away

There was an amusing scene during player introductions in Game 3 in Montreal as Mikhail Sergachev was met with boos from the 3,500 fans inside the Bell Centre, the same fans that used to idolize the defenseman.

However, Sergachev wasn’t fazed at all and instead he just stood there with a smirk on his face as he probably remembered that he landed in the better situation after being traded to Tampa Bay by the Habs in 2017.

Since then, the 23-year-old has emerged as one of the best top-four defensemen in the entire National Hockey League, he’s won a Stanley Cup and he’s on the cusp of adding a second championship to his resume.

Against his former team too.

There is no doubt that the Lightning have already won that lopsided trade, with forward Jonathan Drouin going to Montreal, and the Canadiens were given a painful reminder of what could have been in Game 3.

Already public enemy No. 1 in Montreal after leaving Brendan Gallagher bloodied in a net-front tussle in Game 1, and then checking Artturi Lehkonen hard into the boards with a crushing hit in Game 2, Sergachev relished the role of villain on Friday and he embraced it.

He logged 20:45 minutes of total ice time, blocked three shots, dished out a hit and made some big plays in his own zone, and he played his part in helping to limit the Canadiens offensively when it really mattered.

This is very much the Mikhail Sergachev revenge tour and, as he showed during introductions on Friday, he is loving every single second of it as he closes in on the second Stanley Cup of his young and flourishing career.