Lightning aim for Stanley Cup Final sweep of Canadiens: What to know for Game 4
The Tampa Bay Lightning, up 3-0 on the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final, can make history if they win Monday night in Montreal.
They would be the second team of the salary cap era to win back-to-back titles, joining the 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins. They'd also be the first team to clinch with a sweep since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings, a pre-cap team that also won a second consecutive championship that season.
"It’s going to be difficult, but we put ourselves in a position based on the play we play, and we have to stick with that," captain Steven Stamkos told reporters Sunday.
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There are outside distractions because the Lightning are in a bubble environment in Montreal, limited to the hotel and arena, and family members won't be present. Plus, Tropical Storm Elsa is bearing down on Florida.
"We want to make sure everyone’s safe," Stamkos said. "But at the same time, this group is focused on the game."
What to know about Game 4:
When and where is Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final?
The game will be played at 8 p.m. ET Monday at Montreal's Bell Centre.
How can I watch Game 4?
The game will be shown on NBC and can be streamed on Peacock. If the Lightning win, it would be the last NHL game shown on NBC, with the league shifting its national broadcast partners to ESPN and Turner Sports.
Who are the favorites for the Conn Smythe Trophy?
If the Lightning win, the award for playoff MVP would come down to two or three players. Nikita Kucherov leads the postseason with 32 points, despite missing the entire regular season after hip surgery. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Vezina Trophy runner-up who has a 1.94 goals-against average and .938 save percentage, also has a chance, particularly if he gets a fourth consecutive series-clinching shutout. Brayden Point has 14 goals.
What is the Lightning's record in clinching games?
They are 3-2 this postseason, losing to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 but winning Game 6 in the first round and losing to New York Islanders in Game 6 in the semifinals but winning Game 7 in. Last season, they didn't finish off the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final but won Game 6. The Canadiens are 3-0 this postseason when facing elimination, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.
Has any NHL team won a series after trailing 3-0?
Yes, the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, 1975 Islanders and 1942 Maple Leafs. The Leafs did it in the Stanley Cup Final.
Will the Canadiens make any lineup changes?
Defenseman Jeff Petry practiced on the top power play unit Sunday. Coach Dominique Ducharme said Monday that defensemen Alexander Romanov and Brett Kulak will join the lineup and Erik Gustafsson and Jon Merrill will sit. Forward Jake Evans will replace Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and the top three lines will be shuffled. The Joel Armia-Eric Staal-Corey Perry line will remain intact.
What other history can be made in the game?
Tampa Bay forward Patrick Maroon can become the first player since Ed Litzenberger in the 1960s to get a Stanley Cup three-peat with two different teams. Maroon won with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and with Tampa Bay in 2020. Litzenberger did it with Chicago in 1961 and Toronto from 1962-64.
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup Lightning, Canadiens: Tampa sweep? TV schedule, streaming
