The Montreal Canadiens and host Tampa Bay Lightning will face each other on Sunday to complete back-to-back sets.
Coach Martin St. Louis’ Canadiens arrive in downtown Tampa on an upswing after dominating the Florida Panthers 4-0 on Saturday.
In his NHL debut, rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes made 34 saves and was never threatened by a Florida offense that has struggled lately.
The 23-year-old Czech became the first goalie to blank a defending Stanley Cup champion in his debut since Daren Puppa did it for the Buffalo Sabres against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 1, 1985.
Dobes was in net after the organization placed Cayden Primeau, the backup to starter Sam Montembeault, on waivers.
Owning a 5-10-1 road mark, Montreal has had a tendency of falling behind early in road matches and failing to battle back.
“We’re just a little sleepy (at times) and not tough enough to play against at the start,” center Jake Evans said. “Then we start to figure it out.”
Evans scored while his team was shorthanded in a three-goal second period in the win over the flat Panthers. Florida has been shut out in its past two games and four times in December.
Evans is on pace to finish with 21 goals and 52 points, which both would be career highs and surpass the 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) he posted in 2021-22.
In an odd stat line, six-goal scorer Alex Newhook notched his first two assists despite playing in all 35 games, while Kirby Dach moved his goal total to four in 35 games.
In the first game of their back-to-back set, the Lightning saw three players reach new heights during a 6-2 rout of the visiting New York Rangers on Saturday.
Current captain Victor Hedman set a franchise record by playing in game No. 1,083, one more than former captain Steven Stamkos. He added his 597th career assist.
Brayden Point, who scored a goal and set up two others, said the team made a special point of winning the game for their teammate now wearing the C.
“That’s an incredible accomplishment,” Point said. “It couldn’t happen to a better guy, and it was awesome that he was able to do it as captain.”
On a night when the Lightning toppled struggling New York, they took advantage of their special-teams prowess.
Tampa Bay scored twice on the power play and got short-handed goals from Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Ryan McDonagh, the latter’s first goal in his return to the Lightning.
Cirelli’s short-handed goal was his 15th, second all-time for the club behind St. Louis (28).
Tampa Bay allowed a power-play goal and two short-handed ones on the same penalty kill to Florida last Sunday before claiming the battle in a 4-0 shutout win the next night over the Panthers.
“They’re huge,” McDonagh said of the short-handed goals. “If you’ve been on the (power play) and given up one, it’s a tough feeling.”
Backup goalie Jonas Johansson likely will start Sunday’s game for Tampa Bay.
–Field Level Media
