The Montreal Canadiens are aiming to harness the energy of a lively crowd at the Bell Centre tonight as they strive to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of their NHL first-round playoff series. Montreal secured a 3-2 lead in the closely contested series with a 3-2 victory in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday.
This puts the Canadiens on the brink of progressing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2021 when they reached the Stanley Cup final but fell to the Lightning in five games. Last season, Montreal ended a three-year playoff absence with a surprising late surge into the postseason before being defeated in five games by Washington.
Despite the Canadiens’ lead, the Lightning believe they are still very competitive in the series. All five games have been decided by a single goal, with the first three games extending into overtime. Games 3 and 4 in Montreal were split between the two teams.
Tampa Bay’s captain, Victor Hedman, remains sidelined but is close to making a return, according to coach Jon Cooper. However, Hedman will not be playing in Friday night’s crucial game as the Lightning are facing elimination. Cooper expressed uncertainty about Hedman’s participation in the remaining two games of the series. Hedman last played on March 19 and has been absent due to personal reasons.
The 35-year-old Swede, a recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2020, rejoined the team early in the first-round series after taking a temporary leave. Despite missing time due to injuries and surgeries, Hedman managed to play 33 games in the regular season, contributing one goal and 16 assists.
Cooper emphasized the importance of player well-being and comfort in the decision-making process regarding lineup selections. The coach did not disclose whether Nick Paul or Charles-Edouard D’Astous would return to the Lightning’s lineup for Game 6. Paul was sidelined in Game 5 due to illness, while D’Astous has been out since sustaining an injury from a hit by Canadiens’ forward Josh Anderson in Game 1.
On the other hand, the Canadiens were expected to maintain the same lineup for Game 6 after conducting a well-attended optional skate on Friday morning. Both teams are preparing for a crucial matchup as the Canadiens aim to advance and the Lightning fight to stay alive in the series.