The Lightning are 9-1-1 of their final 11 video games towards Habs, who’re watching slim playoff hopes fade away after third straight street loss.
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The Canadiens post-Christmas road-trip woes proceed.
The Lightning beat the Canadiens 4-3 Sunday evening in Tampa. It was the third straight loss for the Canadiens on this four-game street journey. During the last three seasons, they’ve an total document of 1-12-4 on post-Christmas street journeys.
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These street journeys are the place the Canadiens’ early playoff hopes go to die — and it definitely seems like they’ll miss the playoffs for a 3rd straight season as their document dropped to 15-16-4, which ranks thirteenth within the Jap Convention and twenty sixth within the total NHL standings.
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The Lightning improved to 18-15-5 after getting targets from Brayden Level, Austin Watson, Calvin de Haan and Nikita Kucherov. Cole Caufield, Johnathan Kovacevic and Nick Suzuki scored for the Canadiens, who blew a 2-0 second-period lead.
The Canadiens, with Samuel Montembeault in purpose, outshot the Lightning 30-20. Montembeault made 16 saves as his document fell to 7-5-3 with a 2.94 goals-against common and a .903 save proportion.
The Lightning are 9-1-1 of their final 11 video games towards the Canadiens.
Montreal was lacking centre Christian Dvorak, who was sidelined with an upper-body harm. Head coach Martin St. Louis determined to decorate seven defencemen, with Kovacevic returning to the lineup after being a wholesome scratch for the earlier two video games.
There was no scoring within the first interval, throughout which the Canadiens outshot the Lightning 9-4.
Caufield opened the scoring at 3:58 of the second interval together with his second purpose in two video games and his tenth of the season. Kovacevic put the Canadiens up 2-0 at 11:59 on a weird purpose.
Montembeault made a save on some extent shot and after a quick delay — with no Lightning gamers round him — determined to maintain the play going, giving the puck to Kovacevic. The in-house DJ at Amalie Enviornment thought the play was lifeless and began blaring music, despite the fact that a referee whistle by no means went. Tampa gamers heard the music and headed to the bench and Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson went for a little bit skate, figuring the play was lifeless. Kovacevic noticed the empty internet and fired the puck into it from deep in his personal zone for his fifth purpose of the season.
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Highway to the Cup
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Lightning followers voiced their displeasure the purpose was allowed to depend (blame the DJ) and it appeared to fireside up the house group.
Level scored on the 14:01 mark after which Montembeault allowed a weak shot from Watson undergo his legs to tie the rating 2-2 at 17:36.
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De Haan gave the Lightning the lead 7:49 into the third interval and Kucherov made it 4-2 at 14:54. Suzuki scored his team-leading eleventh purpose at 17:55 with Montembeault on the bench for an additional attacker, however the Lightning have been capable of maintain on for the victory.
Kucherov additionally had an help and he leads the NHL in scoring with 26-35-61 totals. Suzuki leads the Canadiens in scoring with 11-21-32 totals.
Kucharov has picked up factors in 17 of his final 20 video games towards the Canadiens, posting 12-18-30 totals throughout that span.
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Steven Stamkos picked up an help whereas enjoying in his 1,038th profession recreation with the Lightning, passing Vincent Lecavalier for essentially the most video games performed in franchise historical past. Stamkos has factors in 18 of his final 20 video games towards the Canadiens, posting 10-15-25 totals throughout that span. Defenceman Victor Hedman picked up two assists Sunday evening, giving him 9-40-49 totals in 45 profession video games towards the Canadiens. That’s essentially the most all-time factors by any Lightning participant towards the Canadiens, three forward of Stamkos, who has 23-23-46 totals in 49 video games towards Montreal. Hedman ranks third in profession video games performed with the Lightning with 1,011.
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The Lightning stars are merely an excessive amount of for the Canadiens to deal with.
St. Louis ranks fourth in video games performed with the Lightning with 972. He received the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, together with the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Artwork Ross Trophy because the NHL’s main scorer.
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“I grew up right here, virtually,” St. Louis advised reporters in Tampa earlier than the sport. “I can’t even say it was a giant a part of my profession … I really feel it was my profession. It’s at all times enjoyable to come back again right here.”
When requested what a win in Tampa would imply to him, St. Louis mentioned: “Each win on this league is a giant, huge, huge recreation. Large win. They’re not straightforward to come back by. You started working and earn them, particularly within the second half of the season as we’re getting there. Successful in Tampa could be particular.”
The Canadiens may have one final probability to get a win on this street journey after they play the Stars on Tuesday in Dallas (8 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM), earlier than returning dwelling to face the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday on the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
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