The Stanley Cup Final is finally here! The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens are now just four wins away from becoming league champions.
Tampa Bay won their second Cup in franchise history last season and are looking to become the second team in the Salary Cap era to repeat as Cup Champs. Montreal has won 23 Stanley Cups in franchise history but have not won since 1993, which was also their last appearance in the Cup Final.
Here, we’ll briefly overview the matchups and players to watch, along with the series odds.
Tampa Bay Lightning Preview
The Lightning are one of the most offensively gifted teams in the last 25 years. Brayden Point nearly tied an NHL playoff record by scoring nine consecutive playoff games (the NHL record is 10). After missing the entire regular season, Nikita Kucherov leads all playoff scorers in points (five goals, 22 assists). Tampa Bay has scored 20 power-play goals, all coming from their top unit.
But as good as Tampa Bay’s offense has been, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been even better. The Russian superstar is arguably the best goaltender on the planet, leading playoff goaltenders in save percentage (.936) and ranking second in GAA (1.99). He’s posted four shutouts in these playoffs and has recorded a shutout in four consecutive series-winning games, an NHL record.
By nearly every metric, the Lightning are the better team in this matchup. But as we’ve seen from Tampa Bay in the past, they still have to execute. Two years ago, Tampa Bay won the President’s trophy after tying the record for most regular-season wins, then got swept in the first round.
Montreal Canadiens Preview
The Canadiens’ path to the Stanley Cup couldn’t have been more unlikely. They were widely regarded as a team that didn’t deserve to make the playoffs, earning 59 points in the standings in 56 games. They weren’t a team that was dominant, or even above average, in any offensive, defensive, goaltending, or special teams category.
However, since the playoffs began, Montreal has become one of the most elite teams to play against. The Canadiens penalty kill unit has scored more goals (four) than it has allowed (three). Carey Price leads playoff goaltenders in save percentage and ranks second in GAA (behind only Jack Campbell of the Maple Leafs, Montreal’s first-round opponent).
Montreal canceled out a 3-1 series deficit to stun the Toronto Maple Leafs. They kept it rolling with a four-game sweep of the Winnipeg Jets in the second round, then slowed down an incredibly talented Vegas Golden Knights team to advance to the Cup Final.
Young stars like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have been playing with poise beyond their years. Grizzled veterans like Eric Staal and Corey Perry have been playing like they are still in the prime of their careers.
Betting odds consider Montreal, an underdog, and based on the season as a whole, rightfully so. But make no mistake: the Canadiens deserve to be here.
Canadiens vs. Lightning Series Odds
Tampa Bay to Win 4-0: +550
Tampa Bay to Win 4-1: +365
Tampa Bay to Win 4-2: +415
Tampa Bay to Win 4-3: +450
Montreal to Win 4-0: +2200
Montreal to Win 4-1: +1150
Montreal to Win 4-2: +725
Montreal to Win 4-3: +750
Tampa Bay to Win (Any Number of Games): -250
Montreal to Win (Any Number of Games): +210
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