Tampa Bay Lightning will look to close a strong week before the four nations’ facial off-tournament when traveling to meet Montreal Canadiens on Super Bowl Sunday afternoon in the NHL’s last match before the break.
It will be the final in three meetings between the Atlantic Division Clubs. Montreal won the first two matches-5-2 on December 29 in Tampa and 3-2 on January 21 in Quebec.
A member of Team Canada who will play under coach Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Right Vinger Brandon Hagel will proudly show the red and white in his country. But he is probably at least a little disappointed to see the cancellation of the lightning.
Hagel made the first and last markers in Saturday’s 6-3 victory in Detroit, giving him six in the last five matches. He has 26 numbers, third most on the lightning strike.
The franchise has seen the 26-year-old hail grow after acquiring him from the Chicago Blackhawks in March 2022.
“You look at a couple of years ago when he was traded here, may you have foreseen he played for Team Canada 2025?” Cooper said after his group broke the Red Wings’ seven-game winning line. “I don’t know if any of us would have seen it, and here he is. … chemistry he has been formed with (Anthony) Cirlli is unique. These two work well together.”
Brayden Point reached the 30-goal brand for the third straight season and for the fifth time in his career Saturday.
When he made his NHL debut, the former Michigan Wolverines made forward Dylan Duke Lightning’s fifth goal when Tampa Bay moved to 23-1-1 when he led after two periods.
Montreal made Mark in the Wild-Card position after a 3-2 home victory over Tampa Bay on January 21 and received the playing marker from Jake Evans, who has done so in both victories during Lightning this season and has done five total so far.
In his second last match before the break, Montreal was until 4-0 Saturday at home against New Jersey when Devils’ Jack and Luke Hughes noted goals.
Former HABS-Backstop Jake Allen made 34 rescues for his fourth suspension when Montreal fell to 1-6-1 in the last eight matches.
To try to make the playoffs for the first time since the shortened season 2020-21 which ended with them lost to Lightning in the Stanley Cup final, the Canadiens came into the aftermath of the post-season by earning points in eight of nine matches (7-1-1 ) It started with a 2-1 victory at Colorado Avalanche on January 4th.
“I’m not going to talk about it right now,” replied the Canadian coach Martin St. Louis recently by his club playoffs. “I get it. We had a good driving. It is a hard league. It is very competitive, especially at the eastern conference right now. We will fight. The focus right now is really coming back to a recipe that works.”
The Canadiens will be represented in the face of the four nations by three members of the red, white and blue-home goalkeeper Sam Montembeault for Team Canada and Wingers Patrik Laine and Joel Armia for Team Finland.
Montembeault handed four numbers on 22 shots Saturday to lose for the fourth time in its last five starts. He fell to 18-20-3 with three endings in 41 matches this season.
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