Lightning vs. Canadiens: Live score, updates, highlights from 2021 Stanley Cup Final Game 1

By | June 28, 2021
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After a 56-game sprint to the postseason and three heart-thumping rounds, the Stanley Cup Final is here.

One team, the defending champion Lightning, was expected to be here. The other, the Canadiens — who fired their coach back in February — was not. But, that’s all moot now. Regardless of the how and why, both teams earned their right to play for the ultimate prize in sports.

“They’re going to get the best team that they’ve played against so far and we’re going to get the best team that we’ve played against so far,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said after his team knocked off the Islanders in Game 7 of the semifinals. “You don’t get to the finals by luck. Every team that gets there deserves it.”

The Lightning bring a highly potent offense that includes the NHL’s postseason scoring leader in Nikita Kucherov (27 points) and the top goal scorer in Brayden Point (14 goals). Montreal brings the best shutdown forward, Phillip Danault, and a bunch of kids who are ripping it up — including late-season addition Cole Caufield, who joined the team after winning college hockey’s award for its best player, the Hobey Baker Award.

Both teams bring the heat in between the pipes. Andrei Vasilevskiy has posted a .936 save percentage, 1.99 goals-against average and four shutouts for Tampa Bay. Carey Price is right there with a .934 save percentage, 2.02 goals-against average and a shutout. It’s fair to say, the margins are razor-thin with these two in goal.

Montreal will once again be without coach Dominique Ducharme behind the bench due to COVID-19 protocols. The status of Joel Armia is also up in the air, due to the same. Armia did travel by private plane to Tampa Bay on Monday.

Sporting News has all the action as the Lightning and Canadiens battle it out in the Stanley Cup Final (all times Eastern).

Lightning vs. Canadiens score, highlights from Game 1

First period

8:54 p.m. — Brendan Gallagher in the middle of things again. This time he draws a penalty as Barclay Goodrow cross-checks him to the head after Goodrow laid a clean hit. Montreal heads to the power play (20.9 percent effectiveness).

8:39 p.m — More pleasantries at the whistle after a big hit by Ben Chiarot. Brendan Gallagher in the mix in this one too.

8:35 p.m. — GOAL. Erik Cernak crashing the net with the redirect up and over the glove of Carey Price. Lightning lead 1-0.

8:34 p.m. — NBCSN shows Brendan Gallagher and Shea Weber both stepped on pucks and went down during warmups. They’re okay and, well, hockey players are just like us. They also show Carey Price taking a puck up high during warmups. That’s a no-no during warmups; never aim up high on your own goalie.

8:33 p.m. — Is the scouting on Vasilevskiy to go high? Caufield and Toffoli both missed up high and another Caufield shot was blocked away by the upright goalie.

8:28 p.m. — The guys say hi to each other for the first time. The division rivals haven’t seen each other since March 5, 2020, when the Bolts won 4-0.

8:25 p.m. — Puck has been dropped on the Stanley Cup Final. Who will win it all? Stay tuned.

8:24 p.m. — Vincent Lecavalier, he of Lightning fame and also hails from Quebec, in attendance.

Pregame

7:53 p.m. — Looks like Jake Evans is back in the lineup. He has been out since taking a hit from Mark Scheifele in Game 1 of the second round. 

7:50 p.m. — Joel Armia is on the ice for warmups but, per NBCSN, he did not take line rushes.

7:03 p.m. — These are quite some stats.

Stanley Cup 2021: Latest news

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