Lightning still have a huge Game 1 issue vs. Canadiens despite Victor Hedman skating
Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Victor Hedman's return to the ice helps Tampa Bay emotionally, but Game 1 still opens with a giant hole on the blue line.
Hedman is skating again, yet Jon Cooper still does not have his matchup ace for Sunday.
For Tampa Bay, that changes the whole shape of the series. Hedman is not just minutes and reach, he is the clean first pass that settles chaos.
Without him, Montreal can press higher on exits and force Tampa's second pair into ugly retrievals. That is where a series can turn fast.
The Lightning finished 50-26-6 and grabbed home ice on the regulation-wins tiebreaker. The Canadiens came in at 48-24-10, and they just beat Tampa twice in April by a combined 6-2.
Tampa Bay still has enough firepower to win this matchup. Nikita Kucherov posted 44-86-130, Jake Guentzel finished at 38-50-88, and Brandon Hagel put up 36-38-74.
Victor Hedman Changes Tampa Bay Lightning Math
Fans in Tampa know this does not feel like a routine injury note. It feels like the one problem Montreal can actually attack.
Montreal's top line has earned that belief. Nick Suzuki closed at 29-72-101, Cole Caufield hit 51 goals, and Lane Hutson piled up 12-66-78 from the back end.
That matters because the Canadiens do not need to dominate the puck for 60 minutes. They need Tampa's coverages to crack for three or four shifts.
Hedman had only 17 points in 33 games, but that stat misses the point. His value is matchup control, breakout rhythm, and calming the man advantage.
If Tampa wins Game 1 without him, the pressure flips back to Montreal. If it chases early, this series gets loud in a hurry.
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