Lightning at Canadiens
The Tampa Bay Lightning are not quite dead yet and can apply more pressure in their attempt to steal a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference when they visit the Atlantic Division-champion Montreal Canadiens on Friday. Tampa Bay remained alive with a solid 4-1 victory at Toronto on Thursday and can make the postseason with two wins and some help.
The Maple Leafs, who hold the second wild-card spot with 93 points, have home games against playoff-bound Columbus and Pittsburgh on the weekend while the Lightning and New York Islanders each have 90 points with two contests left. “We knew we had to win this game,” Tampa Bay's Brayden Point told reporters after scoring twice on Thursday. “And I think we played like it.” Montreal, which is headed for a first-round playoff matchup with the New York Rangers, saw its five-game winning streak come to an end with a 2-1 loss at Buffalo on Wednesday. Carey Price, who could make his last start of the regular season for the Canadiens, is 12-3-0 in his last 15 decisions and has allowed 29 goals in the past 18 contests.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet East, RDS (Montreal)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (40-30-10): Point, who wasn’t expected to make the team in the preseason, has been centering the top line since injuries and trades thinned out the roster and has scored three goals in as many games to push his season total to 16. Linemate Nikita Kucherov scored his team-leading 39th goal on Thursday as well and tops Tampa Bay with 82 points - 12 better than defenseman Victor Hedman, who notched three assists versus Toronto. Tyler Johnson (lower body), who has registered 45 points, missed his 12th game in the last 14 on Thursday and is questionable to face Montreal.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (46-25-9): Captain Max Pacioretty was kept off the scoresheet Wednesday but has collected seven points in six contests to lead the team with 67 while Alexander Radulov (54) has recorded six points in a five-game span. Paul Byron notched an assist against Buffalo, giving him five points in five games, while Tomas Plekanec has scored two goals in four contests after managing just one in his previous 24. Defensemen Shea Weber, Alexei Emelin and Jordie Benn all are questionable for Friday with lower-body injuries, forcing Montreal to recall blue-liner Brett Lernout on an emergency basis.
OVERTIME
1. Tampa Bay has won the second game of a back-to-back set six straight times, including Sunday’s 6-3 triumph over Dallas.
2. Price is 12-11-6 with a .917 save percentage versus Tampa Bay after earning a point in all three meetings this season (2-0-1).
3. The Canadiens have not lost in regulation in seven meetings with the Lightning (6-0-1) since losing their 2015 second-round playoff series.