Stanley Cup Final: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens

[Highlander]

Tampa are a cut above, no doubt bout it.

[Guilt Trip]

Tampa are a cut above, no doubt bout it.

Hopefully for 3 more games too!

[Nik]

I wonder, if the Lightning go on to win, how many columns will be credulously written about how remarkable it was that Kucherov was able to recover from his devastating injury and play so well in the post-season.

[CarltonTheBear]

Nikita Kucherov is scoring at a rate rarely seen in the past 30 years.

The team at @Sportlogiq explores how he is putting together one of the all-time great #StanleyCup Playoff performances.https://t.co/k734PQKVkU

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 30, 2021

[Nik]

What a lucky, lucky stroke that he was fully healthy and rested for the playoffs and the Lightning didn't need to majorly cut salary. Just incredible luck.

[TheMightyOdin]

What a play by Tampa to score with less than a second left in the second period!

[Nik]

Not a good sign if Montreal can outshoot a team like that and still can't beat them.

[4EVRLEAFAN]

Ah yes, I know it's still early but I feel the stars beginning to align again and things settling back into normalcy as the Habs go down again. 

[TheMightyOdin]

Not a good sign if Montreal can outshoot a team like that and still can't beat them.

I’ve watched very little of Tampa but the goaltender is looking pretty solid.

[bustaheims]

Not a good sign if Montreal can outshoot a team like that and still can't beat them.

Montreal are all about shot quantity over shot quality. They never really feel super threatening, but because they put so many pucks towards the net, some go on.

[lamajama]

Thank goodness good hockey is going to prevail.

[TheMightyOdin]

 Well the Stanley Cup will physically be in Montreal’s building next game.

That’s as close as they’re going to get.

[4EVRLEAFAN]

Feeling soooo much better now, ah yes, stomp the Habs!!   

[TheMightyOdin]

I have to say I am impressed the Islanders did as well as they did against Tampa.

[herman]

I have to say I am impressed the Islanders did as well as they did against Tampa.

On the spectrum of the boring trap/counter playstyle:
Offensive: Islanders ---- Montreal -------------- Columbus :Defensive

Montreal has no star depth and they're not defensive enough systematically to nullify it for very long outside of Danault-Gallagher. For all the balanced minutes they gave the forwards in the first three series, they also played the poop out of their top 4 D, so that's coming home to roost now.