Underdogs or not, Canadiens ready to face experienced Lightning in first round

BROSSARD – Martin St. Louis isn’t concerned with labels.

The Montreal Canadiens coach knows his team is facing a perennial contender in the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s also confident his group can match up.

“Whether we’re the favourite, underdog, that’s why we play the game,” St. Louis said this week. “We’re not worried about this. We’re going to go play the games.

“I’ll give you facts, OK? They’re a veteran team that’s been pretty much the standard in the last seven-plus years — eight years, 10 years. They’re good. We’re good too. Those are just facts.”

The young, exciting Canadiens open the highly anticipated first-round NHL playoff series against the battle-tested Lightning on Sunday in Tampa, Fla. It’s a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup final, won in five games by Tampa Bay, though plenty has changed since.

Montreal (48-24-10) is headed to the playoffs for a second straight season after last year’s surprising berth signaled the end of a full-scale rebuild. A strong regular season also has Habs fans dreaming of a deep run this spring.

In a wave of offensive milestones not seen in a generation, captain Nick Suzuki became the first Canadien to reach 100 points in 40 years, while winger Cole Caufield hit the 50-goal mark, something no Montreal player had done since 1990.

Star blueliner Lane Hutson, meanwhile, tied Larry Robinson for the most assists by a Canadiens defenceman in a single season (66) and skilled forward Ivan Demidov led all NHL rookies with 62 points.

Even the team’s goaltending — a concern most of the season — has stabilized with Jakub Dobes posting a .916 save percentage since the NHL returned from the Olympic break. 

“We know the type of guys that they have over there that have a lot of experience and know what they’re doing,” Caufield said. “But we have belief in our room and our guys that play the right way.

“I think those are the things that give us a chance.”

For Tampa Bay (50-26-6), it’s a ninth consecutive trip to the post-season, with superstar forward Nikita Kucherov driving the offence and Vézina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal.

The Lightning, however, have been bounced in the first round for three consecutive years, including twice by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

“Does that come up? Has it come up during the year that we haven’t advanced? There’s no question,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “And can that be used as motivation? Yes, but it’s not going to guarantee how we do. 

“I remember the feeling I had after we lost to Columbus (in 2019). My goodness, that was a crushing playoff sweep, and then we won 11 playoff series in a row. And so our job is, you know, hopefully we’ve got this group — and I feel like we do — in a really motivational spot.”

Cooper also stopped short of labelling Montreal as an underdog, even if Tampa Bay is a heavy betting favourite. The Canadiens came out on top in two heated wins over the Lightning on March 31 and April 9.

“These are two 106-point teams, and the only reason we’re getting home ice is because we had (more regulation wins). That’s how close they are,” he said. “It’s going to be a heck of a series, but I know our guys are prepared for it.”

Both teams will have to navigate the series with key absences on the blue line.

The Canadiens will be without right-shot defenceman Noah Dobson, who was injured blocking a shot with his left hand in game No. 80 of the regular season. The team said last Sunday that Dobson, who ranked third on the roster in average ice time, would be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The Lightning are missing captain Victor Hedman after he took a personal leave of absence in late March. Cooper said Saturday that Hedman is around the team and gradually returning to skating, but his return is not imminent.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Regular-season series: 2-2

Goals for per game: Tampa Bay, 3.49 (4th); Montreal, 3.40 (7th)

Goals against per game: Tampa Bay, 2.79 (3rd); Montreal, 3.06 (16th)

Top points: Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov, 130; Montreal, Nick Suzuki, 101

Goaltenders: Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy, 39-15-4, .912 save percentage; Montreal, Jakub Dobes, 29-10-4, .901/ Jacob Fowler, 9-6-2, .908

Power play: Tampa Bay, 20.7 (17th); Montreal, 23.1 (10th)

Penalty kill: Tampa Bay, 82.6 (3rd); Montreal, 78.2 (18th)

The big stat: The Lightning led the league with 1,207 penalty minutes this season, 229 more than the Boston Bruins, who had the second most.

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With files from Canadian Press sports reporter Alexis Bélanger-Champagne in Tampa, Fla.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2026.