Game 15: Tampa in Montreal Preview

I was attempting to write this preview in french this morning, but my attempt at grammer was not happening. Lucky for you, please enjoy the english preview.

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The Lightning are in Montreal to face the Canadiens, which means the Lightning will face 10 times more media than usual (see above, pic from TBLightning twitter). Instead of questions about a possibly trade to Montreal, the questions that Lecavalier will be more along the lines of: "why do you suck these days?" or "how do you feel perhaps not being selected for the Olympics?". Oh please queue the Canadian media haters, but the fact is, there's lots of media and they have questions. Don't worry, the return of Tanguay will also be a topic for their stories.

Both teams last played on Thursday night, Montreal beating Boston in a shootout, and of course the Lightning losing to the Senators in OT. The Lightning are currently 1-1-1 on their 4 game road trip.

Hedman will not play tonight as he has a concussion from the hit from Chris Neil, since we have lots of defenseman, Kurtis Foster will slide in for him. Stamkos has has 9 goals in 8 games, and leads the team in scoring at 12 goals. Martin St. Louis is frustrated that he hasn't been able to score in 9 games. Lecavalier and Tanguay had a good game on Thursday, hopefully we'll see another good game tonight, just please don't let this one go into OT...

For Montreal, Carey Price will get the start tonight. Even thought the Habs have claimed Jay Leach off of waivers from the Devils, he will not play tonight. Ryan White and Tom Pyatt will both play tonight after being called up from Hamilton and playing well on Thursday.

According to Eyes on the Prize, the Habs will be wearing this jersey tonight, which is a step up from their where's waldo game last week:















As for some gossip, 25Stanley says the Lightning went partying at Globe on Thursday night...

Line-up Notes:

• Niitymaki will get his 3rd straight start
• Hedman will not play
• D Kurtis Foster is in tonight
• LW Todd Fedoruk is a healthy scratch
• Drew Miller is in
• D Matt Smaby is still a healthy scratch
  

Game time: 7:00pm ET. On HNIC (Quebec only), and SUN.