Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals starts tonight. Montreal Canadiens vs. defending champs Tampa Bay Lightening.
Who you cheering for?
I'm hoping the Canadiens win it, with Stevens Point native and former Wisconsin Badger Cole Caulfield on their team. Caufield had a great series against the Vegas Golden Knights, and hopefully he can continue.
Could this be Goldie's new, number 1 boyfriend? 
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I'm rooting for Montreal as well.
Mostly because I just can't get used to the idea of hockey teams from the South, West, or Southwest. 
Both Conference Final series were excellent, IMO. Good games, good hockey, fun to watch. Oh, and plenty of big hits and fighting!
Game 1: Mon. June 28: Canadiens at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN / Peacock)
Game 2: Wed. June 30: Canadiens at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN / Peacock)
Game 3: Fri. July 2: Lightning at Canadiens, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 4: Mon. July 5: Lightning at Canadiens, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
*Game 5: Wed. July 7: Canadiens at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
*Game 6: Fri. July 9: Lightning at Canadiens, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
*Game 7: Sun. July 11: Canadiens at Lightning, 7 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 1 is a feel out game between two teams that are meeting for the first time this year.
The Leafs, Jets, Golden Knights, and now the Lightning were all favored to beat the Canadiens. Habs continue to show, this is why they have to actually play the games.
I am a Capitals fan so I cannot cheer for TB so I am rooting for Montreal.
Pretty cool that Cole Caulfield story of how he was playing in college not that long ago and has been doing really well. Speaking of Caulfield that guy is going to be carded the rest of his life he looks like he is 12.
I just hope it goes 7. Double OT in game 7.
I was at the Amalie Arena last night for the game. My son called me at the last minute and gave me a ticket. I am a new hockey fan (since Tampa joined) and have to say I really enjoy it. Watching the game last night it looked like Montreal just could not match the Lightnings speed. The goalie for Tampa is a magician. toward the end it looked like Montreal knew they were beat and then just wanted to fight. Maybe it was to get in their head for the next game. Based on what I saw, this match wont go 7. Tampa is good.
Heckler, I was thinking the same thing about Caufield's picture....no way that's a current photo.....lol
Floridarob, Tampa's going to be tough to beat, for the reasons you mentioned....they are very fast, and Andrei Vasilevskiy looks super human out there.
Thunder, TB is good enough and is a big and fast team but adding their goalie is out of this world good almost makes it unfair.
Montreal played so much better last night than Monday but again the Lightning goalie was just amazing. He was swatting away shots on goal like they were knats. An incredible performance. The goal before the end of the 2nd period was one of the best goals I have seen. It looked as tho the kid just leaped blindly forward and stuck his stick out and knocked it in.
Also, the TV analysis during the intermission all appear to be bias toward Montreal. They kept calling Tampa lucky to be ahead. I guess I was watching another game.
They've been that way since Montreal was the only Canadian team left in the playoffs. Listen to the accents of the analysts, eh?
TB looks to be in control, but now the games are headed North. I don't know if Canada has opened the seats to full capacity, so home ice may not be that great if there's still limited capacity.
Montreal will only allow 3500 fans for tonights game. Not a great home field advantage. At Amalie, the Canadien ownership had two large suites where they social distanced and had masks on. They also had the area blocked off where fans could not get close to them. meanwhile the arena was full and rocking with Tampa fans...
I was hoping for a competitive Finals. A one sided beating is no kind of fun to watch. A gentleman's sweep. Obligatory F*** Tampa. But unfortunately the Lightning are just too good.
Tampa Mayor told them to lose and win it at home
The Cup is in the house
Congrats to TB lightening, they definitely deserve the Cup. They were the best team overall - offense, defense, and goal tending. It's very hard to win 1 game against Vasilevskiy, let alone 4 (or 2 in this case).
I have not watched a lot of hockey in my life but if there has ever been another goalie as good as Vasilvskiy, he had to be other worldly. The guy was incredbie. It was like he had puck radar or something. He knew where the puck was going before the player shot it. Amazing performance.
