The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now they sit four wins away from the Eastern Conference Final.
Goaltending Made the Difference
Jakub Dobes outplaying Andrei Vasilevskiy was the ultimate difference maker in this closely contested series. With both teams nearly even in quality, goaltending often decides the outcome in playoff hockey.
Tampa Bay controlled more of the puck throughout the series and особенно в Game 7, but Dobes' 28 saves were enough to get the job done. The Canadiens outscored the Lightning 11-to-10 at even strength, while both teams had five power-play goals.
Top Line Struggled Against Lightning
Montreal's dynamic trio of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky was held in check by Tampa Bay's elite checking line. The Lightning deployed Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Nikita Kucherov against Montreal's top line with great success.
The Canadiens' top line finished four goals underwater in the series. However, Montreal's depth stepped up when needed most: Alex Texier, Kirby Dach, and Zach Bolduc outscored Tampa Bay 6-0 in their minutes.
What Montreal Needs in Round Two
The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round. They will need Dobes to outplay Alex Lyon once again to advance. More importantly, Montreal needs their star trio to reclaim their dominant form.
Buffalo boasts incredible depth, capable of rolling three lines and three pairings confidently. This presents a different challenge than Tampa Bay's elite matching game.
In short: Montreal survived the first round on elite goaltending and depth scoring. Advancing against Buffalo will require their star trio to reclaim their dominance.