Canadiens at Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have the visiting Montreal Canadiens down and can deliver the knockout punch when the teams square off Thursday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Lightning took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup with a last-second goal in Wednesday's Game 3 and look to avenge a sweep by Montreal in last year's postseason with one of their own.
Tyler Johnson scored with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation for Tampa Bay, which has won all eight meetings with the Atlantic Division-rival Canadiens this season. It was a crushing blow for Montreal, which dominated much of the contest and now has less than 24 hours to regroup and avoid elimination. "We got lucky tonight," Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman admitted after his team was outshot 31-19. Montreal faces the sobering task of trying to become only the fifth team in league history to come back and win a series after dropping the first three games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
ABOUT THE CANADIENS: Montreal held the Lightning without a shot for 19 minutes and appeared poised to start a comeback when Brendan Gallagher celebrated his 23rd birthday by scoring the tying goal midway through the third period. The Canadiens were unable to get the go-ahead tally despite registering 15 third-period shots and have been limited to four tallies through the first three games of the series after being outscored 21-8 in the five regular-season meetings. Montreal's power play failed on both attempts to fall to 1-for-28 in the postseason.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Johnson, who had 29 goals and 72 points in the regular season, continued his sensational postseason with his league-best eighth tally, burying a perfect feed on the doorstep from defenseman Victor Hedman. "You're almost in disbelief, how did that happen? Like pulling a rabbit out of your hat," said captain Steven Stamkos, who added that (goaltender Ben) "Bishop was THE reason we won the game." Bishop missed last year's playoff sweep versus Montreal due to injury but has been brilliant in the series, turning aside 100-of-104 shots.
OVERTIME
1. Bishop joined Tim Thomas as the only goaltenders to beat Montreal eight times in one season.
2. The Canadiens will try to avoid becoming the first team in NHL history to get swept by a team that it swept in the previous postseason.
3. Tampa Bay is bidding to become the first team to go 9-0 or better versus one opponent in a single season since the Philadelphia Flyers accomplished the feat against the New York Rangers in 1984-85.