NHL teams
Pierre LeBrun, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Lightning pass latest test to advance to East finals

TAMPA, Fla. -- Well, they can admit it now, since they won.

The Tampa Bay Lightning wanted no part of a seventh game in the NHL’s most intimidating arena. They weren’t feeling great about their chances in that scenario, given the hysteria that would have surrounded them if they let a series they led 3-0 go to the max.

Just imagine for a moment the madhouse Montreal would have been Thursday night.

So the Lightning convinced themselves -- made themselves believe it for real -- that Tuesday night was in fact a must-win, their season on the line.

"Oh, absolutely, this was our Game 7," superstar captain Steven Stamkos said after a series-clinching, 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

"We talked about that. We were talking and referring to it as Game 7. We just kept looking back at how we played in the second half of Game 7 against Detroit; we wanted that same mentality, and we had it. We didn’t give them much tonight. We clogged it up pretty good in the third period; that’s as good a defensive period as we’ve played all season. Obviously, good timing."

In fact, one could argue the Lightning might have played their most complete game of the playoffs Tuesday night in finally ending Montreal’s season.

"I think we came in with the right mentality, this was like a Game 7; we just went out and executed and played one of our absolutely best games in these playoffs so far," said veteran defenseman Anton Stralman. "That’s really encouraging you can pull out that performance when you need it the most. It feels really good."

Thing is, coach Jon Cooper insists he knew it was coming last Saturday despite Tampa's losing 2-1 in Montreal.

"I just remember Game 5, and everyone is saying the pressure is on us and we’ve dropped two and all these things, but the calm I had inside myself about this team; I knew as we went on in Game 5 and the way we played in that third period -- I know we gave up that goal late -- but Price had to make some big-time saves, we were on them. I felt our game was changing. The look in the players’ eyes after that game, a calm went over me. I knew these guys would roll," Cooper said.

Roll they did, especially once Nikita Kucherov opened the scoring at 15:35 of the first period, as the first goal has been so darn important for both of these teams. Tampa Bay improved to 6-0 in these playoffs after scoring first.

From there, a near-flawless game by the Lightning, a statement in so many ways by a young club learning its way through the playoffs, trying to figure things out as it goes.

The Lightning learned a ton by coming back from 3-2 down to beat Detroit in the opening round. And the education they got from having the Habs scare the heck out of them will also prove useful in their evolution.

"We bent and we didn’t break," said Stamkos, whose second-period goal was a thing of beauty. "It was just nice to watch everyone play as well as they did tonight."

The double off days helped, Cooper said; it gave his team a mental reset. From there, Stamkos said everyone took a deep breath. They weren’t going to let this thing slip away.

"It starts from everyone, from the coaching staff to the leadership group that we have in here, to Bish [Ben Bishop], everyone just said, 'Let’s forget about those games,'" Stamkos said. "Montreal did the same thing in Round 1: They went up 3-0, lost two games, so we knew it could be done. We were coming back in front of our own fans. What was not to love about the opportunity to close out a series at home. Knowing how poorly we played last game [at home], it was pretty easy to get up and play the game that we did tonight."

The Bolts stepped up while the Habs dipped.

"You’ve got to give the Lightning a lot of credit, they played their best game of the series tonight," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said in French.

"For a reason that escapes me right now, our tank seemed to be on empty. Not only physically, but I would say emotionally. It’s disappointing."

Superstar goalie Carey Price laid the blame on his shoulders, which is about the last place I’d be looking.

"I didn't play well enough," said the Hart and Vezina Trophy finalist. "I think that's more or less what it comes down to. We lost a lot of tight games, I just need to make that one more save in all the games that we lost, and I didn't do that."

That’s what leaders do -- they take the heat. Price is the real captain of the Canadiens, their franchise player, their heart and soul.

Could he have been a bit better? Sure. But overall, he played fine. It’s not his fault the team’s power play was garbage all playoffs long. The offense struggled all season. You can’t ask Price to win every single game of the playoffs 2-1 and then expect to win a Stanley Cup.

"As a team we’ve got to understand that Carey’s the best goalie in the world, but he’s also human. Things are going to happen out of his control sometimes, and we’ve got to respond for him," said star Montreal blueliner P.K. Subban. "Listen, Carey will always say the right things, I’m sure he’s frustrated, but we need to be better around him. I don’t care what Carey says, we need to be better around him and support him more. I think too many times this year he’s bailed us out, and that’s gotta change moving forward if we want to be a successful team in the regular season and the postseason. If we expect him to play the way he’s played this year every year, it’s unfair. There’s going to be ups and downs, and it’s tough to be at that level every single game. He’s managed to do it this year, but we have to realize our job is to make his job easier, not to make it more difficult."

Well said, P.K.

To me, the Habs might have lost this series in Game 1. Seems crazy to say, I know, but the Lightning were coming off a grueling, seven-game set with the Red Wings and got just one day off, using it to travel to Montreal, before the puck dropped for the opener. That’s the night the Canadiens needed to jump all over a tired team and set the tone for the series.

Instead, the overtime loss in Game 1 put the Canadiens on their heels right from the get-go.

"I don’t think we lost the series tonight," said Therrien. "I thought we played really in Game 1, we deserved a better fate. In Game 3, same thing. When you’re looking around [at] the big picture, those are the types of games when you play that well, you should win those games. Eventually, it [catches up to you]."

The young Lightning, meanwhile, move on to the final four, their growth really remarkable in the past two seasons.

"Look at the guys we’ve brought in the last couple of years, look at the guys we’ve been able to develop," said Stamkos. "Sometimes it’s hard to go through that transition. As a player you want to win every year. But when you got guys who know what they’re doing running the team, it pays off."

Bring on Alex Oveckin and the Washington Capitals, or old teammate and current New York Ranger Martin St. Louis -- the Bolts are ready.

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