“Lightning strikes twice! The Tampa Bay Lightning win their second straight Stanley Cup!” – Kenny Albert

“Any time you can be in a sentence or a graphic with Ken Dryden — that’s what you call a heck of a run.” – Eddie Olczyk on Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy

“Everything he touches turns to gold.” – Brian Boucher on Lightning head coach Jon Cooper

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 7, 2021 – The Tampa Bay Lightning won their second consecutive Stanley Cup tonight by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., on NBC and Peacock.

Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Brian Boucher called the game on-site from Amalie Arena along with Kathryn Tappen and Pierre McGuire providing reports and contributing to pre-game and intermission coverage.

Liam McHugh, Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp provided studio commentary during intermissions and post-game coverage on NBCSN from NBC Sports’ headquarters in Stamford, Conn. First intermission studio coverage included a feature on Canadiens forward Josh Anderson, who scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 4.

Following are notes and quotes from the Lightning’s Cup-clinching victory:

POST-GAME

Boucher on Lightning head coach Jon Cooper: “Everything he touches turns to gold. When you meet him and you talk to him, he’s a down-to-earth guy, but you can see the confidence he exudes. And I think that confidence extends to his players. He gets the most out of everybody.”

Boucher on Andrei Vasilevskiy: “Considering what he was able to do in clinching scenarios — often overlooked because there’s so much star power on this Lightning team — he deserves the respect and recognition. To me, he is the Conn Smythe (Trophy) winner…This team is not the same if they don’t have Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal.”

Olczyk on Vasilevskiy: “Any time you can be in a sentence or a graphic with Ken Dryden — that’s what you call a heck of a run.”

Boucher on Vasilevskiy: “What a goalie. He is the best goalie in hockey today. His durability, his athleticism, the mind, the way he reads plays. The fact that he had not lost back-to-back games in these Playoffs is incredible. It speaks to how terrific a goaltender he really is.”

Carter: “Teams are usually hesitant to draft a goalie in the first round, well it paid off in spades for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s the best goalie in the world and he’s the reason they won the Stanley Cup.”

Sharp: “This team has been building for years, going back to the draft pick of Steven Stamkos. They have been putting pieces together year after year.”

Jones: “The NHL was in a transition where speed was going to be the No. 1 factor…some teams were moving away from some grit and some toughness. Tampa went back to grit and toughness after Columbus taught them some hard lessons…that formula has not changed to win Stanley Cups. It’s a big reason why Tampa found a way to get it done in consecutive years.”

Boucher on Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh: “He’s a goaltender’s dream to have a guy like him playing in front of you. What a Playoffs. The shotblocking, the leadership — can’t say enough about his play defensively.”

THIRD PERIOD

Albert: “Lightning strikes twice! The Tampa Bay Lightning win their second straight Stanley Cup!”

SECOND INTERMISSION

Carter on Andrei Vasilevskiy: “He’s slowly creeping up the charts as a Conn Smythe (Trophy) winner if the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup…He’s been sharp all night long in a situation where the Lightning weren’t sharp.”

Jones on Ross Colton’s second period goal: “It was a great effort play from a line that hasn’t been doing a whole lot since Alex Killorn left the building…Colton wins the one-on-one battle with (Joel) Edmundson, gets the loose puck and now Tampa is on the forecheck…Colton then beats Edmundson to the front of the net with his stick on the ice to pick up the only goal of the game to this point.”

 SECOND PERIOD

Boucher on Lightning forward Ross Colton’s goal, 1-0 Tampa Bay: “You watch Colton after that scrum — once (Ryan) McDonagh gets it, Colton goes right to the net and presents his stick. (Carey) Price has to respect (David) Savard and the shot. It’s a heads up play to find that backdoor stick. Tremendous work by the Lightning on the wall and tremendous work by Colton to get to the net.”

FIRST INTERMISSION

Sharp on attempting to win the Cup on home ice: “Different feeling with (the Cup) in the building, especially when you’re at home. The city, organization, fan base — everybody is preparing for a celebration. That’s a lot of pressure…I thought in that period, Tampa Bay looked like they were nervous with the puck.”

Jones on the Lightning: “There’s some nervous energy out there. Some bouncing pucks, some missed plays, some bad passes from Tampa’s perspective.”

PRE-GAME

Olczyk on what he’d say pre-game to the Lightning if he were head coach Jon Cooper: “It’s simple. We’re the best team in the National Hockey League. He looks at Andrei Vasilevskiy and says, ‘You’re the best goalie in the league. Victor Hedman, you’re the best defenseman in the league. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, you’re two of the top ten forwards in the league. We’re going to win tonight and we’re going to do it in front of our fans.’”

Olczyk on what he’d say pre-game to the Canadiens if he were head coach Dominique Ducharme: “He walks around that room and says, ‘Look – there is nobody in the hockey world that thinks that we can do this. But I do. And you do. So let’s go do it.’”

–NBC SPORTS–

Lightning Lead Montreal Canadiens 3-1

NHL Overtime Begins Immediately Following Game 5 Coverage on NBCSN

Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick Reflects on the NHL on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 7, 2021 – The Montreal Canadiens fought off elimination in their 3-2 overtime Game 4 victory and forced Game 5 tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The Lightning, leading the series 3-1, look to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup and third in franchise history with a victory. Kenny Albert will handle play-by-play duties alongside U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and former NHL goalie Brian Boucher (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst).

Liam McHugh will anchor studio coverage alongside studio analysts Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp. Kathryn Tappen and Pierre McGuire will provide on-site reports from Tampa. NHL Overtime will begin immediately following the conclusion of Game 5 on NBCSN.

Intermission studio coverage during Game 4 featured Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, one of the most acclaimed sportscasters of all time, narrating a piece that reflects on NBC Sports’ contributions to the game of hockey during the past 16 years as the exclusive U.S. media partner of the NHL. Click here to view.

All Stanley Cup Final games are available to stream on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Following is NBC Sports’ remaining coverage schedule of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final:

Date	Coverage	Network/Platform	Time (ET)
Wed., July 7	Game 5 – Montreal at Tampa Bay	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Fri., July 9	Game 6 – Tampa Bay at Montreal*	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Sun., July 11	Game 7 – Montreal at Tampa Bay*	NBC/Peacock	7 p.m.

*if necessary

–NBC SPORTS–

“It’s what’s served them well in these Playoffs. It’s an aggressive style of play. They’re at their best when they’re throwing their bodies around, and clearly that was the message…Going after (Brayden) Point and (Nikita) Kucherov.” – Keith Jones on Canadiens’ Game 4 Performance

“Once you win a game, then you try and create a seed of doubt in the opposition. It takes time, but if you chip away slowly, it can happen.” – Brian Boucher on Canadiens’ Attempt to Comeback in Series

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 5, 2021 – NBC Sports continued its exclusive presentation of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final tonight with Game 4 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens from Bell Centre in Montreal, Québec, on NBC and Peacock. The Canadiens won the game in overtime, 3-2, trail the series 3-1, and Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final will be presented in Tampa, Fla., this Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Brian Boucher called the game on-site from Bell Centre along with Kathryn Tappen and Pierre McGuire providing reports and contributing to pre-game and intermission coverage.

Liam McHugh, Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp provided studio commentary during intermissions and post-game coverage on NBCSN from NBC Sports’ headquarters in Stamford, Conn.

Tonight’s intermission studio coverage featured Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, one of the most acclaimed sportscasters of all time, narrating a piece that reflects on NBC Sports’ contributions to the game of hockey during the past 16 years as the exclusive U.S. media partner of the NHL. Click here to view.

Following are notes and quotes from Game 4:

POST-GAME

Jones on Montreal killing off Shea Weber’s penalty in overtime: “The penalty kill is the big reason that Montreal survived…For Weber, he’s going to feel like he’s been shot out of a cannon. When you escape those situations, you come back and your team wins the game in overtime…I would keep an eye on him in the next game.”

Sharp: “I really liked Josh Anderson’s game. Very physical on the forecheck…And Corey Price — we have to pump his tires when he plays well, real big game for the Habs.”

Carter: “Nice bounce-back game for Carey Price, but (the story is) the power play not getting it done for the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s been a strong part of their game all postseason long.”

OVERTIME

Olczyk on Canadiens forward Josh Anderson’s overtime-winning goal: “The speed of Anderson creates this whole chance and Cole Caufield does an amazing job of going to the front of the net and stopping and staying in front of the net. It’s the whole play.”

THIRD PERIOD

Albert on Lightning forward Pat Maroon’s goal, tied 2-2: “Pat Maroon, looking to win his third straight Stanley Cup, has tied the game.”

Boucher on Canadiens defenseman Alexander Romanov’s goal, 2-1 Montreal: “The screen by (Artturi) Lehkonen — when Lehkonen arrives, the puck arrives. It’s the timing of the screen and a perfectly placed shot by Romanov.”

Olczyk: “We called out Lehkonen’s game a lot in that first and second period…The importance of being in front of that net. He has had an outstanding game — the little things that you need.”

SECOND INTERMISSION

Jones on Montreal’s style of play in Game 4: “It’s what’s served them well in these Playoffs. It’s an aggressive style of play. They’re at their best when they’re throwing their bodies around, and clearly that was the message — going after the star players on the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s a long list of stars so you have to continue to be aggressive…It’s been working so far for Montreal, going after (Brayden) Point and (Nikita) Kucherov.”

Sharp: “Their backs are clearly against the wall. They’re playing an angry brand of hockey, going after the right guys and they’re giving these star players (on Tampa Bay) something to think about.”

 SECOND PERIOD

Olczyk on Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow’s goal, tied 1-1: “What a play by Ryan McDonagh. Montreal is not able to clear the zone. We talked about the impact of the defense for the Tampa Bay Lighting and Ryan McDonagh makes an unbelievable play. Montreal has this puck and who steps in and shuts it down but McDonagh. Look at this pass — no chance for Carey Price.”

Boucher on Canadiens’ big hits: “It’s not too often you get a chance to line up Brayden Point like that and Shea Weber did not ease up one bit. That’s been a theme in this game — Kucherov and Point are targets.”

Boucher on Canadiens attempting to comeback in the series down 3-0: “You need something to build upon. A period, that’s where you start and that’s what Montreal did in the first period. Then, it’s about win a game and once you win a game, then you try and create a seed of doubt in the opposition. It takes time, but if you chip away slowly, it can happen.”

FIRST INTERMISSION

Sharp on the Canadiens: “I like the pushback from Montreal at the end of the period. They showed some fight, they’re engaged in this one.”

FIRST PERIOD

Boucher on Canadiens forward Josh Anderson’s goal, 1-0 Montreal: “A nice give-and-go between (Nick) Suzuki and (Cole) Caufield, and then a nice job by Caufield to occupy Erik Cernak at the net front. That left Josh Anderson open for what would have been a difficult save for Andrei Vasilevskiy.”

Olczyk on the Canadiens: “They’ve got to have a better Carey Price. He’s just been out-goaltended by Andrei Vasilevskiy. The numbers don’t lie in this series.”

–NBC SPORTS–

Lightning Lead Montreal Canadiens 3-0

NHL Overtime Begins Immediately Following Game 4 Coverage on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 5, 2021 – The Tampa Bay Lightning can win their second consecutive Stanley Cup tonight when they face the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 from Bell Centre in Montreal at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Kenny Albert will handle play-by-play duties alongside U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and former NHL goalie Brian Boucher (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst). The Lightning lead the series 3-0.

Liam McHugh will anchor studio coverage alongside studio analysts Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp. Kathryn Tappen and Pierre McGuire will provide on-site reports from Montreal. NHL Overtime will begin immediately following the conclusion of Game 4 on NBCSN.

All Stanley Cup Final games are available to stream on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Following is NBC Sports’ remaining coverage schedule of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final:

Date	Coverage	Network/Platform	Time (ET)
Mon., July 5	Game 4 – Tampa Bay at Montreal	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Wed., July 7	Game 5 – Montreal at Tampa Bay*	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Fri., July 9	Game 6 – Tampa Bay at Montreal*	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Sun., July 11	Game 7 – Montreal at Tampa Bay*	NBC/Peacock	7 p.m.

*if necessary

–NBC SPORTS–

“Tampa thinks they can win the Stanley Cup here tonight. They’ve got it going on.” – Eddie Olczyk on Lightning’s Game 3 Performance

“They are an outstanding hockey team. Love to watch greatness, and we are watching greatness right now.” – Keith Jones on Lightning

“For Montreal to beat Tampa, they have to play almost perfect hockey…They just can’t make any mistakes.” – Pierre McGuire

“The fact of the matter is that Montreal hasn’t seen a team like Tampa all Playoffs long.” – Olczyk

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 2, 2021 – NBC Sports continued its exclusive presentation of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final tonight with Game 3 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens from Bell Centre in Montreal, Québec, on NBC and Peacock. The Lightning won the game, 6-3, lead the series 3-0, and can win their second consecutive Stanley Cup on Monday night with coverage for Game 4 from Montreal beginning at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire called the game on-site from Bell Centre along with Kathryn Tappen providing reports and contributing to pre-game and intermission coverage.

Liam McHugh, Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp provided studio commentary during intermissions and post-game coverage on NBCSN from NBC Sports’ headquarters in Stamford, Conn.

Following are notes and quotes from Game 3:

POST-GAME

Jones on Lightning: “We’ve seen it before from Tampa, we shouldn’t be surprised…They bounce back. They were outstanding at the right moments in this game…They are an outstanding hockey team. Love to watch greatness, and we are watching greatness right now.”

Sharp on Canadiens: “Pretty demoralizing if you’re on the other side in the Montreal locker room. Where do you go from here? You didn’t really have a chance to win this game…The chances that they come back and win four in a row are slim to none.”

Carter: “This series is over as far as I’m concerned. I know they’ve got to play one more game — but this is all done.”

THIRD PERIOD

McGuire: “For Montreal to beat Tampa, they have to play almost perfect hockey. They made too many mistakes in the first period and they’re were chasing the game from the start. They just can’t make any mistakes.”

Olczyk: “And they need Carey Price to be on par with Andrei Vasilevskiy…So far, Vaslievskiy has outplayed Carey Price without question.”

McGuire on Lightning forward Tyler Johnson’s goal, 5-2 Tampa Bay: “Jon Cooper deserves a huge assist on that goal. He put Tyler Johnson from the left wing back to center. He’s looked so much better at the tail end of Game 2 (and tonight in Game 3).”

Albert on Lightning: “Two goals early in the first period tonight and they never looked back. The Canadiens have never had a lead in this series.”

SECOND INTERMISSION

Jones on Tampa Bay’s defense: “Tampa Bay has six defensemen that are absolutely imposing physically, they are outstanding players in all situations, and they’re just too much for the Montreal Canadiens to handle. Lots of contact and lots of offensive opportunities, led by the defensemen — and it’s not just (Victor) Hedman, it’s everybody. All six guys have been involved offensively.”

SECOND PERIOD

Olczyk on Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki’s goal, 4-2 Tampa Bay: “That’s a soft goal, a bad goal and you give Montreal some life here late in the second period. But again — you shoot the puck and you never know.”

Albert on Lightning forward Tyler Johnson’s goal, 4-1 Tampa Bay: “The crowd here in Montreal is stunned. For the second straight period, the Lightning have scored two goals in the first three-and-a-half minutes.”

Olczyk: “It’s a carbon copy of period one.”

McGuire: “The Canadiens are still stunned. They just can’t figure out what’s going on right now.”

Olczyk: “The fact of the matter is that Montreal hasn’t seen a team like Tampa all Playoffs long. They’re finding out very quickly that Tampa doesn’t need a whole heck of a lot (to strike).”

Olczyk on Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov’s goal, 3-1 Tampa Bay: “A 2-on-0. Not an easy handle, not an easy play by (Ondrej) Palat. Kucherov on the backhand, finishes it into the back of the net…World-class skill level there.”

McGuire on the Canadiens: “They’re stunned. They just got punched in the mouth.”

FIRST INTERMISSION

Sharp on the Canadiens: “What do you do when you’re down 2-0 in the series and down 2-0 at home in Game 3? You just keep playing…The top line for Montreal is showing up.”

FIRST PERIOD

Olczyk on Lightning: “Tampa thinks they can win the Stanley Cup here tonight. They’ve got it going on.”

Olczyk on Canadiens forward Phillip Danault’s goal, 2-1 Tampa Bay: “I don’t think he wanted to shoot this puck, he wanted to pass the puck to (Brandan) Gallagher the whole way…He goes post and in…The Habs have found their game.”

Albert: “When that puck hit the net, it sounded like 18,000 in the building.”

Olczyk on Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman’s goal, 2-0 Tampa Bay: “No adjustment here by Montreal. (Artturi) Lehkonen is so slow to react to move up into the slot…He’s got to move out (to defend the shot). (Phillip) Danault is asking, ‘Where are you?’ He’s so worried about the one-timer by the Steven Stamkos.”

Olczyk on Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta’s goal, 1-0 Tampa Bay: “(Carey) Price never sees it…Rutta buries it top shelf and Tampa silences the crowd here in Montreal.”

McGuire on the crowd: “There’s no way there’s only 3,500 people in this building.”

Olczyk: “There’s at least 7,000 people here.”

Olczyk on the goaltender matchup: “To this point in the series, Andrei Vasilevskiy has out-goaltended Carey Price. Price has to raise his level to give his team a chance.”

–NBC SPORTS–

Lightning Lead Series 2-0; Series Shifts to Montreal

NBC to Broadcast and Peacock to Stream All Remaining Stanley Cup Final Matchups

NHL Overtime Begins Immediately Following Game 3 Coverage on NBCSN

Game 4 Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 2, 2021 – The 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens continues tonight with Game 3 from Bell Centre in Montreal at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Kenny Albert will handle play-by-play duties alongside U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Emmy Award-winner Pierre McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst). The Lightning lead the series 2-0.

Liam McHugh will anchor studio coverage alongside studio analysts Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp. Kathryn Tappen will provide on-site reports from Montreal. NHL Overtime will begin immediately following the conclusion of Game 3 on NBCSN.

Game 3 will mark the first time that Montreal has hosted a Stanley Cup Final game in 28 years. Tonight’s opening tease features Guy Carbonneau, captain of the most recent Canadiens team to win the Stanley Cup in 1993, speaking about the franchise’s quest for the Cup. Intermission studio coverage includes a player profile feature on Montreal goaltender Carey Price.

All Stanley Cup Final games airing exclusively on NBC are available to stream on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Following is NBC Sports’ remaining coverage schedule of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final:

Date	Coverage	Network/Platform	Time (ET)
Fri., July 2	Game 3 – Tampa Bay at Montreal	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Mon., July 5	Game 4 – Tampa Bay at Montreal	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Wed., July 7	Game 5 – Montreal at Tampa Bay*	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Fri., July 9	Game 6 – Tampa Bay at Montreal*	NBC/Peacock	8 p.m.
Sun., July 11	Game 7 – Montreal at Tampa Bay*	NBC/Peacock	7 p.m.

*if necessary

–NBC SPORTS–

“He’s the main story here tonight and this has not been a solid game here from Tampa whatsoever. They owe a lot to their goaltender.” – Brian Boucher on Andrei Vasilevskiy

“This is a difficult loss…This was Montreal putting out a supreme effort and losing.” – Keith Jones on Canadiens

“We’re still trying to make sense of what we just saw. Perhaps the best goal and the best setup of this postseason.” – Liam McHugh on Blake Coleman’s Diving Buzzer-Beating Goal in Second Period

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 30, 2021 – NBC Sports continued its exclusive presentation of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final tonight with Game 2 between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., on NBCSN and Peacock. The Lightning won the game, 3-1, and lead the series 2-0. Coverage for Game 3 from Montreal begins Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Kenny Albert, Brian Boucher and Pierre McGuire called the game on-site from Amalie Arena along with Kathryn Tappen providing reports and contributing to pre-game and intermission coverage.

Liam McHugh, Keith Jones, Anson Carter and Patrick Sharp provided studio commentary during pre-game coverage and intermissions from NBC Sports’ headquarters in Stamford, Conn.

Pre-game coverage featured a Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick-narrated essay on the Stanley Cup engraver, Tappen’s interviews with Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and Canadiens forward Tyler Toffoli, as well as McGuire’s interview with Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh.

Following are notes and quotes from Game 2:

POST-GAME

Carter on Lightning: “Tampa Bay can beat you physically, with skill hockey and they also win games they’re not supposed to win. I think (Andrei) Vasilevskiy got robbed — he should have gotten the first, second and third star tonight. There’s no way Tampa comes out of this game with a victory without Vasilevskiy.”

Jones on Canadiens: “This is a difficult loss. When you have your skating legs, when you have the jump and you are creating scoring chances, and you lose a game? This can be more difficult to come back from than a 5-1 loss. This was Montreal putting out a supreme effort and losing.”

Boucher on Canadiens: “The Canadiens can build off a game like this. Even though they didn’t get the win, they did a lot of good things in this game.”

THIRD PERIOD

Boucher on Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy: “There’s always a lot of talk about (Nikita) Kucherov, (Brayden) Point, (Victor) Hedman. The reality is that Andrei Vasilevskiy plays a huge role in the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s the timeliness of his saves. That’s what matters most. Sometimes he doesn’t get a lot of work, and sometimes he’s the main story. He’s the main story here tonight and this has not been a solid game here from Tampa whatsoever. They owe a lot to their goaltender.”

Boucher on Lightning forward Ondrej Palat’s goal, 3-1 Tampa Bay: “This is a backbreaker for the Canadiens. They had a lot of good going on and it was a harmless looking play…Communication is key. There is no reason why that play should happen with virtually no pressure. That was a gift.”

SECOND INTERMISSION

Jones on the Canadiens’ second period: “They had some great chances. Andrei Vasilevskiy was out of this world in the second period. He had one goal get by him, but then he closed the door. Montreal was all over him, quality opportunities, dangerous scoring chances coming at you and Vasilevskiy was there to make save after save.”

Sharp: “The first three periods of this series were ugly for Montreal. I liked the first period of Game 2, they looked much more comfortable. But this second period, Montreal woke up and said, ‘we’re going to dictate the terms of this game.’”

Sharp on Nick Suzuki’s improved play in Game 2: “It tells you a lot about the character of that player. He was invisible in Game 1. Well, I guess he was visible because he was a minus-3. He was on the ice for everything that was happening in the wrong direction. He listened to everyone tell him that for two days and he showed up tonight and has been the best player on the ice.”

SECOND PERIOD

McHugh on Lightning forward Blake Coleman’s goal, 2-1 Tampa Bay: “We’re still trying to make sense of what we just saw. Perhaps the best goal and the best setup of this postseason. It beats the buzzer and erases what was a great period of hockey for the Canadiens.”

Boucher on the Suzuki forward line: “The question was, were we going to see a response from the Suzuki line? We’ve seen it. It’s been a much better Game 2 for Suzuki, Toffoli and Caufield…a much more confident trio.”

Boucher on Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy: “The only reason the game is 1-1 is because of number 88 in blue.”

Boucher on Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki’s goal, tied 1-1: “Two goals in this hockey game that you just don’t typically expect to go in…instead of going down, assumes his defenseman would come up with it, he fans on it and so does Vasilevskiy. A gift of a goal.”

McGuire: “Look who was right in front of him. The evil menace, Corey Perry. You have to wonder if Vasilevskiy was wondering if Perry was going to do something with that puck.”

Boucher on Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli’s goal, 1-0 Tampa Bay: “It’s been a lot of Montreal in this game so far, but a harmless looking shot…eludes Carey Price…one of those shots that just seems to have eyes.”

Boucher on Montreal: “That’s the response you want to see from Montreal…They might be bent, but there’s no break in this Canadiens team so far here tonight.”

FIRST INTERMISSION

Jones on the Canadiens: “They are extremely comfortable. The (Alex) Killorn absence shouldn’t be that big of an issue, but it was an issue in the first period. The Lightning did not look comfortable out there.”

Jones on Tampa’s start to Game 2: “I think Tampa fed the Canadiens — a couple of turnovers they were able to capitalize on, get scoring chances, feel their way into the game. Careful start for Tampa and that’s not how they wanted to start against this Canadiens team.”

FIRST PERIOD

Boucher on Montreal’s 4-on-3 power play: “If Shea Weber and the one-timer is going to be taken away, at some point you’ve got to get the puck to the net…not enough movement for Montreal during the 4-on-3.”

McGuire: “And that’s why Cole Caufield should have been on the ice. You could have double-stacked the left side of the ice. They’re both right-handed shots. I don’t agree with the formula at all of having Erik Gustafsson out there instead of Caufield.”

Boucher on the Canadiens’ chances in Game 2: “Luke Richardson said the positive today was that his team knows they didn’t have their best in Game 1. They know they have a lot more to give. And when you have hope on your side, that can be fuel.”

PRE-GAME

Jones on Steven Stamkos: “He’s been the face of the franchise for a long time. He’s allowed other players to excel with him, he doesn’t try to steal the spotlight, he shares it. He really has led by terrific example of what it’s like to be the captain of a team in the NHL.”

–NBC SPORTS–