PREVIEW PLAYOFF GAME #2 – Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay (April 18/20140

Preview Game #2

Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay

St. Pete Times Forum – April 18, 2014 – 7:05pm

Game Notes –

….In game one, each team rallied twice from one goal deficits.

….Special Teams were a wash in the game. Both teams 0-for-2. Each team managed a total of two shots on their two advantages.

….The Canadiens power play remains a major talking point. The have now gone more than three quarters of a game (48:32) over the last nine games without scoring a goal. Included in that total is 2:03 at five-on-three.

….The power plays of the Canadiens and Tampa finished the season tied for 19^th at 17.2%. However from the beginning of December the Canadiens power play was 13.4%. Exactly half of the Canadiens 48 power play goals came in the first 27 games (24 for 100). In the final 55 games the Canadiens scored 24 in 179 opportunities.

….Turnovers were the story of game one. The Canadiens forced the Lightning into 11 giveaways and also recorded seven takeaways for a total of 18. Tampa had 13 – 7 giveaways & 6 takeaways.

….Carey Price is now 5-14 in his last 19 playoff starts. Overall his record in the playoffs is 9-17. His save percentage .905.

….Only 35 players in NHL history have averaged a point a game in the playoffs. With his assist on the game winning goal Daniel Briere has 110 points in 109 games.

….Lightning rookie Nikita Kucherov scored his first NHL goal on his first career shot on goal, November 25^th vs. the Rangers. He scored his first playoff goal on his first playoff shot Wednesday.

….Eleven members of the Lightning roster are in the playoffs for the first time. The Canadiens have none although Michael Bournival played in one game against Ottawa last spring and Jarred Tinordi was in five games two years ago.

….Mike Weaver has played in 602 regular season games over 12 years in the NHL.  Wednesday was only his 12th playoff appearance.

….Tampa’s Ryan Callahan and the Canadiens Brandon Prust were Ranger teammates when the team made the Eastern Conference Final in 2012.

….First line forward Ondrej Palat left game one in the third period with an upper body injury and didn’t return.  He’ll be a gametime decision but is not expected to play.   Palat is a Calder trophy candidate after scoring 23 goals and 36 assists in 81 games.  If he’s not available, Alex Killorn will replace him on the Stamkos line.

Tampa Playoff Line Combinations

17-Alex Killorn 91-Steven Stamkos 9-Tyler Johnson

71-Richard Panik 51-Valtteri Filppula 24-Ryan Callahan

16-Teddy Purcell 44-Nate Thompson 23-J.T. Brown

11-Tom Pyatt  54-Cedric Paquette  86-Nikita Kucherov

6-Sami Salo 77-Victor Hedman

25-Matt Carle 7-Radko Kudas

2-Eric Brewer 21-Mike Kostka

39-Anders Lindback

Canadiens Playoff Line Combinations

67-Max Pacioretty 51-David Desharnais 20-Thomas Vanek

8-Brandon Prust 14-Tomas Plekanec 11-Brendand Gallagher

Tom Pyatt 81-Lars Eller 21-Brian Gionta

22-Dale Weise 48-Daniel Briere 49-Michael Bournival

79-Andrei Markov 74-Alexei Emelin

26-Josh Gorges 76-P.K. Subban

55-Francis Bouillon 23-Mike Weaver

31-Carey Price

SERIES STATISTICS

Goaltender Breakdown

Injuries – Canadiens – C?LW-Alex Galchenyuk (lower body); LW-Travis Moen (concussion).    Tampa Bay – G-Ben Bishop (elbow);  LW-Ondrej Palat (questionable -upper body); LW-Ryan Malone (personal/legal); D-Brian Lee (knee surgery); D-Mattias Ohlund (knee surgery)