Playing from behind
The Canadiens went 11-2 after Game 4 of the first round to reach the Final on the strength of a stifling penalty kill and by getting the lead and making their opponents chase the game. Though the kill held up in the Final, Montreal was unable to take a lead until Game 4, then gave it up twice before claiming its only win with Josh Anderson's goal at 3:57 of overtime.
Beaten at their own game
The line of Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow sparked the Lightning and gave the Canadiens fits. Though Montreal got the same kind of energy in the first three rounds, Tampa Bay's third line delivered a masterful effort, one that was worthy of a repeat Stanley Cup winner.
Playing hurt
Though Montreal had enough depth for Kotkaniemi to be a healthy scratch for the last two games of the Final, the lineup was far from fully healthy. Coach Dominique Ducharme missed six games because of a positive COVID-19 test, including the first two in Tampa. He confirmed defensemen Shea Weber (thumb) and Jeff Petry (finger), and forward Tyler Toffoli (groin), were among those playing through injuries, and said forward Brendan Gallagher "had a groin (injury) and more."