The Tampa Bay Lightning charge into the Bell Centre tonight to take on the league-leading Montreal Canadiens in the hopes of picking up their 3rd road trip victory.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have gotten off to a terrific start this season. In the six games the Bolts have played this season, they have only come up short in one of them; this being in a 4-0 shutout on October 20th at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.
On Saturday, October 22nd, the Lightning kicked off a six-game road trip through Canadian and the New York metropolitan area. Their first stop was at the Canadian Tire Centre to take on the Ottawa Senators; a game in which the Lightning won 4-1.
From there, the Lightning would head to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to face off with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After losing his two front teeth late in the second period, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop would backstop the Bolts to their second-straight road win with a 7-3 victory over the Maple Leafs.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a rather difficult challenge in front of them. The Bolts are set to charge into the Bell Centre tonight to take on an all-too-familiar foe, the league-leading Montreal Canadiens.
Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Ben Bishop will be between the pipes tonight for the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the other side of the ice, the Lightning offense will be taking on Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price.
Earlier today, Ben Bishop had an opportunity to speak with Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times about tonight’s game, and we think it’s pretty safe to say Bishop is ready – and somewhat excited – to take on Carey Price tonight in Montreal.
The Lightning is in for a challenge tonight as they take on the Montreal Canadiens. Not only is there quite a bit of history between these two teams, but the Canadiens have been seemingly unstoppable this season.
The Canadiens have only experienced one loss this season. This took place on October 15th in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. For those of you wondering, Carey Price was not in net that night. Rather, it was Canadiens goaltender Al Montoya between the pipes for the Habs against Ottawa.
There is no denying Ben Bishop has been an integral part of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success this season, but when you look at things solely in black and white, things look a little different between these two teams’ top netminders.
In the four games Ben Bishop has started this season, he has gone 3-1-0 with a Goals Against Average of 3.51 and a Save Percentage of .885. On the other side of the ice, in the three games Price has started in this season, he has gone 3-0-0 with a Goals Against Average of 1.68 and a Save Percentage of .939.
Both sides of the ice have plenty of firepower in their lineups. The Lightning have proven time and time again they are functional on all levels.
There is a total of 11 Lightning players who have lit the lamp this season. There is a two-way tie on the team in terms of goals scored. Both Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and forward Alex Killorn both have five goals so far this season. Stamkos is also leading the way for the team in terms of points with nine.
On the other side of the ice, there is a total of 13 Canadiens players who have scored a goal so far this season. Leading the way for the Habs is Brendan Gallagher with four. However, leading the way in points is defenseman Shea Weber, who the Canadiens picked up from the Nashville Predators in an exchange for former Canadiens d-man P.K. Subban.
Right now, the Tampa Bay Lightning have momentum on their side as they make their way into the Bell Centre. As Ben Bishop has said before, staying with the system is key. If the Lightning continue to play the way they have over the course of this road trip, the Montreal Canadiens and their fans are going to be in for a surprise tonight.
While Tampa Bay Lightning fans anxiously await tonight’s impending puck drop, let’s take a quick look at all the information you’ll need to make sure you don’t miss a moment of the action tonight between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens from the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Game: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
Venue: Bell Centre
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2016
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
TV Info: Fox Sports Sun, SN360, RDS
Radio Info: Lightning Radio on 970WFLA or TBL Power Play on iHeartRadio
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go in both the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store
Next: Lightning Names Top Franchise In ESPN Ultimate Rankings
The 2016-17 season is still very young, but the Tampa Bay Lightning wasted no time finding their groove and making a name for themselves throughout the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens may be leading the league right now, but a lot can happen in the remaining 76 games. If the Bolts continue to play the way they have been lately, it is going to be an interesting season for us all.