LIGHTNING (46-30-5) at CANADIENS (37-38-6)
TV: 7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, FS-F, NHL.TV
Season series: The Montreal Canadiens will be going for the sweep after winning the first three games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, including 4-2 at Bell Centre on Feb. 9. Montreal goalie Mike Condon won two starts at Amalie Arena, including a 26-save shutout in a 3-0 win March 31. Montreal forward Tomas Plekanec has three goals and one assist. Tampa Bay forward Valtteri Filppula has a goal and three assists.
Lightning team scope: Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman (upper body) may be ready to return. He was injured on a hit by New York Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey on Monday and missed two games, including a 4-2 win at the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Right wing Jonathan Drouin was recalled from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Thursday and scored the winning goal in his first game for Tampa Bay since Dec. 30. "It's obviously been kind of a tough ride for him, but if he was going to come back, he would be embraced on this team," linemate Alex Killorn told the Lightning website Thursday. "And he did, and [Thursday] showed how hard he's been working in Syracuse, and to get that goal, it's a game-winner for us, it's home-ice advantage." The Lightning clinched second place in the Atlantic Division, securing home ice for their Eastern Conference First Round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "You can't take a game off in the NHL," Drouin said. "You can't take a shift off. Something's going to happen on the ice if you're not ready or you're not on your game right away. That's probably the biggest thing I've realized, to be consistent, every game, every shift, and you've got to work hard every game."
Canadiens team scope: Condon's start will be his 55th game, the most by a Montreal rookie goalie since Calder Trophy winner Ken Dryden went 39-18-5 in 64 games in 1971-72. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said he is encouraged by the results of putting left wing Max Pacioretty, center Alex Galchenyuk and right wing Brendan Gallagher together. "There's a nice chemistry between those three," Therrien told the Canadiens website after a 4-2 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. "They're creating a lot offensively. I like what I see from those three together." Pacioretty, who had two points, reached 60 points for a fourth straight full season with his NHL career-high 33rd assist. He got his 61st point when he scored to tie Galchenyuk for the Canadiens lead with 28 goals. "I'm just trying to play the best I can and I've found a nice little role here with [Galchenyuk] and [Gallagher]," said Pacioretty, who had 30 goals or more each of the past three full seasons. "We have some great chemistry. We're making plays, we're swinging and supporting each other really well. There's obviously some areas that we want to clean up as a line a little bit defensively, and knowing the clock a little bit better and knowing the game situation, but the three of us feel we have great chemistry and we're talking a lot, so it's been a lot of fun."
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