{"id":555487,"date":"2026-04-18T19:54:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T19:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/555487\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T19:54:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T19:54:33","slug":"lightning-must-go-through-franchise-great-martin-st-louis-and-the-canadiens-in-opening-round-national-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/555487\/","title":{"rendered":"Lightning must go through franchise great Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens in opening round | National Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) \u2014 The Tampa Bay Lightning have to beat one of the franchise\u2019s greatest players to get where they want to go.<\/p>\n<p>Hall of Fame forward Martin St. Louis, whose No. 26 hangs in the rafters at Benchmark International Arena, leads the Montreal Canadiens against the Lightning in a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nhl-eastern-conference-playoffs-preview-c78caf2d3feb115edeb180da826bb2d7\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first-round series<\/a> that begins Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>kAm$E] {@F:D E@@&lt; @G6C 2D |@?EC62=\u2019D 9625 4@249 \ud83d\ude15 a_aa D@ 96\u2019D C6EFC?65 E@ %2&gt;A2 q2J 2=C625J 2D 2 G:D:E@C] qFE E96C6\u2019D &gt;@C6 2E DE2&lt;6 ?@H]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm%96 r2?25:6?D 2C6 D66&lt;:?8 E96:C 7:CDE $E2?=6J rFA D:?46 `hhb 2?5 92G6?\u2019E H@? 2 A=2J@77 D6C:6D D:?46 E96 {:89E?:?8 362E E96&gt; \ud83d\ude15 E96 rFA u:?2= \ud83d\ude15 a_a`]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm%2&gt;A2 q2J 92D 366? 6=:&gt;:?2E65 \ud83d\ude15 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 E9C66 4@?D64FE:G6 D62D@?D D:?46 72==:?8 EH@ H:?D D9J @7 2 E9C66\\A62E]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201cx H2D 7@CEF?2E6 6?@F89 E@ 4@249 |2CEJ ?@E 7@C 2 =@?8 E:&gt;6 3FE x @H 9:D 9@4&lt;6J D6?D6[ 9:D 9@4&lt;6J &gt;:?5[ 9:D 24F&gt;6?[\u201d {:89E?:?8 4@249 y@? r@@A6C D2:5] \u201cw6 @HD E96 82&gt;6] w6 @HD 6I24E=J 2?5 96 D66D :E \ud83d\ude15 25G2?46] %92E\u2019D AC@323=J H9J D@&gt;63@5J @7 9:D D:K6 H2D \ud83d\ude15 E96 =628F6 D@ =@?8 3642FD6 96\u2019D DFA6C 4@&gt;A6E:E:G6[ DFA6C E2=6?E65[ 3FE 96 925 2 5C:G6 23@FE 9:&gt; 2?5 96\u2019D 8@E E96 D2&gt;6 E9:?8 \ud83d\ude15 4@249:?8] ]]] w6\u2019D 2 DA@?86 D@ 2&gt; x DFCAC:D65 2E 9:D DF446DDn }@E 2? @F?46 3642FD6 |2CEJ \ud83d\ude00 8@??2 36 DF446DD7F= \ud83d\ude15 2?JE9:?8 96 5@6D]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201cx7 J@F\u2019C6 4@&gt;A2C:?8 &gt;JD6=7 E@ |2CEJ[ x\u2019&gt; ?@E 2 w2== @7 u2&gt;6C] w6\u2019D \ud83d\ude15 E96 w2== @7 u2&gt;6] x\u2019&gt; ?@E] $@[ x\u20195 ?6G6C AFE FD @? 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E96 A:A6Dk^9am<\/p>\n<p>kAm{:89E?:?8 8@2=E6?56C p?5C6: &#8216;2D:=6GD&lt;:J[ H9@ H@? E96 &#8216;6K:?2 %C@A9J \ud83d\ude15 a_`g\\`h 2?5 7:?:D965 \ud83d\ude15 E96 E@A E9C66 7@FC @E96C E:&gt;6D[ \ud83d\ude00 bh\\`d\\c H:E9 2 a]b` 8@2=D\\282:?DE 2G6C286 2?5 ]h`a D2G6 A6C46?E286]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm&#8217;2D:=6GD&lt;:J H2D E96 r@?? $&gt;JE96 %C@A9J H:??6C H96? E96 {:89E?:?8 H@? E96:C E9:C5 $E2?=6J rFA 2?5 D64@?5 @7 324&lt;\\E@\\324&lt; E:E=6D \ud83d\ude15 a_a_\\a`]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmr2?25:6?D 8@2=:6 y26D =2DE J62C H96? |@?EC62= =@DE E@ (2D9:?8E@? \ud83d\ude15 7:G6 82&gt;6D \ud83d\ude15 E96 7:CDE C@F?5]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>k9amr2AE2:? 4@&gt;6324<\/p>\n<p>kAm{:89E?:?8 42AE2:? &#8216;:4E@C w65&gt;2? 92D C6;@:?65 E96 E62&gt; 7@==@H:?8 2 =62G6 @7 23D6?46 D:?46 |2C49] w65&gt;2? :D?\u2019E 2G2:=23=6 7@C E96 DE2CE @7 E96 A=2J@77D 2?5 :E\u2019D F?@H? H96? 96\u2019== C6EFC? 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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n                                &#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAMPA, Fla. 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