Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Live Blog: Lightning vs. Canadiens

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 in Game 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final on Monday.
NHL.com
senior director of editorial Shawn P. Roarke was at Amalie Arena in Tampa to provide all the sights, sounds, insight and action for the opener of the best-of-7 series.

11 p.m.

It's over.
The return of the Stanley Cup Final to Tampa was a huge success. The Lightning defeated the Canadiens 5-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.
Game 2 is here Wednesday, and it will be hard to top the atmosphere for Game 1.
The final five minutes of the game was an extended party for the fans, who have waited to see a Cup Final game here since 2015.
Defenseman Erik Cernak and forwards Blake Coleman, Nikita Kucherov (two goals) and captain Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 18 saves. Brayden Point had three assists. Tampa Bay outshot the Canadiens 27-19 and allowed five shots in the third period.

The crowd roared with every play down the stretch, sending the team off the ice to a standing ovation. Several fans yelled, "Three more wins!" as they left the building.
Thanks for joining me for the journey through Game 1. See you again Wednesday!

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10:40 p.m.

Chants of "Kuuuuuuuuch" are reverberating through Amalie Arena after the forward scored with a glove-side wrist shot past the glove of Carey Price at 11:25 of the third period.

Kucherov leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists).
Once the crowd was done celebrating Kucherov's accomplishment, they turned their attention to Price, mocking him with sing-song chanting of his first name.
Though Tampa Bay has been dominant for long stretches tonight, there is reason to be guarded. In the semifinals, the Vegas Golden Knights looked superior in Game 1 against Montreal, winning going away. They then won one of the next five games.
But that is of little concern now as the crowd reaches fifth gear in its partying.
After another fracas in front of Vasilevskiy, involving Brendan Gallagher of the Canadiens, of course, "TNT" by AC/DC came on and the whole crowd broke into chants of "Oi, Oi!"

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10:34 p.m.

With nine minutes left in the game, the party is raging anew inside and outside of Amalie Arena especially after Kucherov gave the Lightning a 4-1 lead.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow is in the house, revving up the crowd after a fracas in front of Vasilveskiy that resulted in off-setting minors for Montreal's Eric Staal and Cernak.
Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot has had an interesting night, directly involved in each of the four goals that have been scored.
On the first Tampa Bay goal, Chiarot and a Montreal forward doubled an attacking player, leaving Cernak free in the slot. On the second goal, Chiarot's blocked shot went directly onto the stick of Coleman, who saw his shot deflected by Yanni Gourde. Then, Chiarot scored on his pinball shot from the point. On the first Kucherov goal, which made it 3-1, Chiarot was at the top of the crease and tried to bat away a backhand by Kucherov only to have it double-deflect off him and into the net.

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10:24 p.m

That was the start to the third period the Lightning wanted. Kucherov scored at 2:00 for a 3-1 lead on a fluky goal.

It came on Tampa Bay's 20th shot and revived a crowd that had been muted by seeing Montreal score late in the second period.
It's the first time that Price has allowed more than two goals in six games, since allowing four to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the semifinals. He allowed nine goals in the next five games.
Montreal now needs to fashion a two-goal comeback but does not have a shot on goal in the first five minutes of the period.

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10:15 p.m.

Game 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final is poised on a knife's edge heading into the third period with the Lightning holding a 2-1 lead.
The Lightning have outshot the Canadiens 19-14, but Chiarot's double-deflection goal for Montreal with 2:40 remaining has made it a one-goal game.
Not only was the Chiarot goal weird, but it was unusual in that it was the first even-strength goal of the playoffs by a defenseman for the Canadiens. The Canadiens had two goals from the eight defensemen it had dressed this postseason. Shea Weber and Erik Gustafsson had the goals, but each came on a power play.
Each team is likely somewhat happy heading into the third period. Tampa Bay has dictated the pace and played the game on its terms but have only a one-goal lead. Montreal has been on its heels at times, but it has played a respectable road game, absorbing the charges from the Lightning and counterpunching when possible.
We're ready for puck drop in the third. Let's see what happens.

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9:55 p.m.

The party is on hold here at Amalie Arena after two periods.
Montreal halved the lead to 2-1 when defenseman Ben Chiarot scored at 17:40 of the period on one of the freakiest goals of this postseason. The shot was blocked by a Tampa Bay skate up high and was headed wide, only to hit the skate of another Lightning player and go past an out of position Andrei Vasilevskiy. It was Chiarot's first goal this postseason and came on Montreal's 14th shot.
The third period should be a wild affair as the crowd and the Lightning have been put back on their heels a bit by the Chiarot goal.
I mentioned the Montreal penalty kill earlier tonight and here is an even better illustration of how dominant it has been. The kill of the Chiarot roughing penalty, which bridged the first and second periods, was the 31st consecutive penalty kill without allowing a goal.

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9:45 p.m.

Andrei Vasilevskiy kept the score 2-0 when he made a glove save on Montreal defenseman Shea Weber soon after Yanni Gourde gave the Lightning a two-goal lead.

By the way, there is a huge crowd outside Amalie Arena in the party area known as "Thunder Alley." The festivities have made several appearances on the scoreboard, including one in which a fan proudly displayed a championship belt decorated with rhinestones and featuring the Lightning logo. His handiwork was saluted during a break in the action.
The crowd was frustrated in its hopes for a third goal in the 13th minute when Carey Price made a fantastic save on Tyler Johnson, who tried to go high with a backhand as he cut across the slot. But Vasilevskiy has the answers each time. Josh Anderson tried to go high glove and was foiled, the crowd rising as one to chant, "Vasy, Vasy, Vasy!"
Forward Alex Killorn labored his way to the bench with 6:20 remaining in the period after blocking a slap shot. He had just handed his stick to Victor Hedman, who had lost his stick earlier in the play.

9:32 p.m.

The place is rocking now with Tampa Bay taking a 2-0 lead on a goal by Blake Coleman after a pass from Barclay Goodrow at 5:47. It came on Tampa Bay's 11th shot of the game.

Carey Price has not allowed more than two goals in any of his past five games. He allowed four to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first game of the semifinals.
Brayden Point had an excellent chance at the end of the carryover power play but fired wide from the slot and Montreal's top-ranked penalty kill (93.5 percent entering game) held the fort against the red-hot Lightning power play (37.7 percent).
There was significant groaning from the crowd at 3:30 when Steven Stamkos tried to go high to the short side after a turnover, but Price flashed the glove and denied him.

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9:20 p.m.

We're ready for the second period with the Lightning leading 1-0.
The Lightning have 1:15 left on their first power play of the game.
Tampa Bay is 12-2 when scoring first this postseason; Montreal is 1-3 when allowing the first goal.
I thought the first period was a physical affair, and the stats prove it. There were 45 hits credited in the first 20 minutes as each team tries to set a tone for what is to come. Montreal had 26 of them.
Rob Gronkowski, the tight end for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made a taped appearance on the video board during intermission, getting a rise out of the crowd.
"I'm here to say, 'Let's keep the Cup in Tampa Bay, baby!" he said.

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9:05 p.m.

We're through one period here and the Lightning lead 1-0, outshooting the Canadiens 7-5.
They were cheered off the ice at the end of the period as AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" again blared from the speakers.
The Lightning's top-ranked power play got its first opportunity at 19:14 when Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot was whistled for roughing in the defensive zone. Tampa Bay did not score but will have 1:15 of power-play time to start the second period.
One of the biggest cheers of the second half of the first period came when defenseman Victor Hedman forcibly ejected Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher from the crease of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Gallagher likes to claim that area early in each series, but Hedman forcibly said no this time, setting off a bit of a mosh pit. At the other end there were similar jousting matches each time forward Anthony Cirelli crowded the crease.
The fans are certainly getting back into the swing of things quickly here, cheering the unheralded facets of the game. One fan behind the
NHL.com
press seating has kept a constant commentary from the puck drop, urging the Lightning to "defend their house," and "move those legs," and "stand [the Canadiens] up," and "take that body." She is also imploring the Lightning players by screaming "it's no time to be tired, it's the Stanley Cup."
Tampa Bay forward Barclay Goodrow took the first penalty, for cross-checking at 15:31. It was greeted with derision delivered at a professional level. Each clearance during the successful penalty kill (no shots) generated a brief standing ovation and chants of "Let's go Bolts!"
Retired NHL forward Ryan Callahan, who played six seasons with the Lightning, was in the building and accepted a $100,000 donation to the Ryan Callahan Foundation from the Lightning. The introduction and the presentation of the check was cheered wildly by a crowd that has liked what it saw in the period from the home team, which is playing physical and fast.

8:36 p.m.

The Lightning have struck first here in Game 1, taking a 1-0 lead at 6:19 of the first period.
Defenseman Erik Cernak scored his first goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, deflecting a pass from Ondrej Palat over the glove of goalie Carey Price. Cernak is playing in his 46th Stanley Cup Playoff game. The play was set up by an effective back check and interception by forward Brayden Point. It came on Tampa Bay's fourth shot of the game.
Montreal had two excellent chances before Cernak scored on the counterattack.

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8:20 pm

Lightning fans brought the thunder during a deafening pregame show that featured light-up thunder sticks, a live musical performance and a booming rendition of "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC and a chorus of "Let's Go Bolts" chants.
The biggest Lightning crowd of the playoffs stood throughout the pregame show, roaring as each Tampa Bay starter was announced and booing heartily as each Canadiens starter was introduced in the first Stanley Cup Final game here since 2015 when the Lightning lost a six-game series to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in Edmonton last season, playing in a fan-free bubble in Edmonton.
Retired Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier ended the pregame show by urging the fans on just before puck drop.
We are off in Game 1!

8:05 p.m.

Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia will not play in Game 1. Armia was removed from COVID-19 protocol Monday and flew to Tampa in a private jet later in the day, but the Canadiens went with Jake Evans in his place.
Evans has not played since June 2, when he sustained an injury against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of the second round. He has played in four games this postseason, scoring one goal. Armia, a key penalty killer, has scored eight points (five goals, three assists) in 17 games this postseason. He has three shorthanded points, including two goals.
The Lightning went with the same lineup that played in their Game 7 victory against the New York Islanders in the Semifinals on Friday.
Here is how each team lines up:
Tampa Bay Lightning
Palat-Point-Kucherov
Killorn-Cirelli-Stamkos
Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow
Maroon-Johnson-Colton
Hedman-Rutta
McDonagh-Cernak
Sergachev-Savard
Vasilevskiy
Montreal Canadiens
Lehkonen-Danault-Gallagher
Toffoli-Suzuki-Caufield
Byron-Kotkaniemi-Anderson
Evans-Staal-Perry
Chiarot-Weber
Edmundson-Petry
Gustafsson-Merrill
Price

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6:30 p.m. ET

What a perfect night for hockey here in Tampa.
The party in and around Amalie Arena has been in full swing for several hours now and we are 90 minutes or so from the start of what should be an intriguing series.
The biggest question as we await puck drop is the status of Montreal forward Joel Armia, who is a game-time decision. He was cleared from COVID-19 protocol earlier Monday and flew to Tampa in a private jet. Montreal assistant coach Luke Richardson said Armia would be available if he arrived in time and was ready to play. If not, forward Jake Evans would take his place.
While you get ready for the start of Game 1 (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS), here is a collection of content from
NHL.com
to set the stage:
The play of Montreal center Philip Danault is among the
3 Keys of Game 1
, according to senior writer Dan Rosen.
The
Canadiens don't believe they are underdogs
, despite finishing with 16 less points than the Lightning, but the numbers and history suggest otherwise, according to columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika.
The goalie battle between Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning and Carey Price of the Canadiens could well be the marquee storyline of the Final and the
goalies involved are embracing the challenge
, says Rosen.
Special teams will be a huge part of this series
, writer Tom Gulitti says in his comprehensive breakdown of the series.
Who is going to win the Stanley Cup? We asked a panel of our
staff writers for their predictions
.
Who is the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs heading into the Final? Well, not surprisingly, it is a goalie,
according to our panel of experts
.
Lightning forward Steven Stamkos
is healthy and involved in these playoffs
, which was not the case last season. He and his teammates are reveling in that turn of fortune, says Gulitti.
Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber is playing in the Final for the first time, inspiring his teammates with his dedication along the way,
according to writer Mike Zeisberger.