MONTREAL -- The Tampa Bay Lightning pounded the Montreal Canadiens 6-2 Sunday night and not only head home up 2-0 in the second-round series but also now have won all seven games against the Habs this season. That’s got to shake the confidence of the Canadiens.
How it happened: For the second game in a row, the Canadiens came out strong, taking a 1-0 lead on Jeff Petry's goal 7:20 into the game. The Canadiens owned most of the opening period, but Valtteri Filppula's power-play goal with 24 seconds to go in the first period really changed the momentum of the game. Once again, the Canadiens were left with the feeling that no matter how well they played, Tampa would find a way.
A three-goal middle period clinched the game for the Lightning, and it started with a goal that felt oh-so-good for Steven Stamkos, whose terrific breakaway deke of Carey Price at 8:06 of the second made it 2-1 and opened the floodgates. For the Lightning captain, it ended a slide that saw him go 11 straight playoff games without a goal. You could see the relief on his face after the goal. Watch out now if this opens things up for him.
A major storyline on this night was also Montreal’s lack of discipline and composure, taking six penalties in the opening 40 minutes when the game was still on the line, some of them completely needless. Brandon Prust's roughing penalty on Braydon Coburnis exhibit A, not to mention the unsportsmanlike penalty tacked onto it for barking at the ref.
What it means: Stamkos has lifted his burden and the Bolts' power play awoke, two things that spell doom for the Habs. This could be a short series, folks. Combine that with Montreal’s continued inability to score on the power play, now 1-for-26 in the playoffs after going 0-for-3 Sunday evening, and you've got trouble.
Player of the game: Victor Hedman. The star Lightning defender had another all-world game, impactful at both ends of the ice while picking up a goal and an assist.
Stat of the game: Tampa Bay entered the game just 2-for-34 on the power play for the playoffs but exploded on Sunday evening for four power-play goals, and they were beauties too, especially Nikita Kucherov’s one-timer that gave Tampa a 3-1 lead at 12:29 of the second period, completing a series of lightning-quick passes.
What's next: Double off-days in the series followed by back-to-back Games 3 and 4, Wednesday and Thursday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
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