Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The Florida Panthers gave a small gift to the Montreal Canadiens players ahead of today’s game.
On Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning left a lot of energy on the ice. Against the Florida Panthers, things were physical from start to finish.
Tampa Bay won 4-2, but the price was high. It was a night filled with penalties, scrums, and an intensity that wears down a lineup.
That kind of game is candy for rivalry fans. It felt like the days when the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques were going after each other.
Except that the next day, the legs can feel much heavier.
“Games between Lightning and Panthers perfectly represent what the Canadiens-Nordiques rivalry used to be. Pure candy.” – Renaud Lavoie
The Montreal Canadiens must take advantage of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s lack of energy today
The numbers already tell part of the story.
There were 45 penalties in total, with 87 penalty minutes for the Lightning and 49 for the Panthers. Tampa was even involved in a massive fight in the second period, and that leaves its mark, even when you win.
The Lightning, meanwhile, are coming off an extremely demanding game, both physically and mentally. That’s where it becomes a nice gift from the Panthers to the Canadiens.
“The Lightning players spent a lot of energy tonight. It’s up to the Canadiens to take advantage.”
– Renaud Lavoie
When a team spends the night defending, scrapping, and managing penalties, it leaves pieces behind.
If Tampa is still caught up in the emotion from the night before, Montreal can strike while it’s still hot.
Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics