Tampa Bay Lightning: Top Rivalries Heading Into 2016-17 Season
By Will Clewis
#5 – Montreal Canadiens
In four games last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning couldn’t find a way to beat their divisional rivals in the Montreal Canadiens. That was just the opposite in 2014-15 when the Lightning swept the Canadiens in the regular season (5-0-0) and won four out of six games during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (4-2-0).
Tampa Bay Lightning
Despite being a less competitive match-up this year, the Lightning and Canadiens have built up a bit of a rivalry between each other and that’s why it lands as number five on this list. The recent playoff meetings and regular season games have made the storylines between the two teams very interesting.
A few moments from the past couple of years come to mind, especially during the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Lightning went up 3-0 on the Canadiens with a chance to close them out in games four and five. Game five in Montreal was certainly an emotional one and the Habs won 2-1. However, the Lightning would go on to win game six at home and move on.
Also, the scrums between Brandon Prust and Ben Bishop were both humorous and aggravating at the same time. Prust, however, is no longer with the Canadiens or in the Eastern Conference, for that matter.
If the Canadiens can get back on track this coming season, I would expect the intensity to rise a bit. If not, though, I still believe there will be a mild hatred between the two. Whether it be at Amalie Arena or Bell Centre, a game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens is an interesting occasion.
Next: Number Four