By the Numbers: Dominance of Kucherov, Vasilevskiy could mean trouble for Habs

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final went like many other recent playoff games have gone for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Nikita Kucherov was a plus-3 and dominated the offensive zone with two goals and one assist, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped nearly 95 per cent of the shots he faced as the Bolts cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens to take a 1-0 series lead.

Year after year, playoff after playoff, we’re used to elite-level output from these two.

With Game 2 on deck Wednesday night from Amalie Arena, TSN.ca looks at the dominance of Tampa Bay’s Russian duo and the numbers behind the Canadiens’ hunt to bounce back.

Downright dominant

It goes well beyond their play Game 1.

Vasilevskiy leads the 2020-21 playoffs in wins (13), total saves (541) save percentage (.936) and shutouts (four). The year before, he posted 18 victories with a .927 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average as the Lightning went on to capture the Stanley Cup.

In his last nine starts against Montreal, he’s been even better. The 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner owns a 1.76 GAA, a .945 save percentage and is 9-0-0 with two shutouts.

Kucherov, who didn’t play at all during the regular season while recovering from a hip injury, has 30 points in 19 games since returning. Like his teammate in the crease, this is nothing new.

The 28-year-old winger has owned the playoffs since 2015, posting 124 points in 107 games. That’s nearly 50 points above Sidney Crosby and teammate Victor Hedman (77) as the next highest scorers, while fellow Tampa forward Brayden Point (73) ranks right behind them.

Sure, it helps that the Lightning have made the playoffs in six of those seven seasons and been to three Cup finals, but that’s what happens when your stars shine the brightest when it matters most.

Can the Habs bounce back?

A team like the Lightning will always be a tough task, but Game 1 wasn’t exactly the most encouraging result for the Canadiens. But what is encouraging is their ability to bounce back.

Since losing Game 4 to the Toronto Maple Leafs and going down 3-1 in the first round, the Habs are 3-0 after losses. They have scored a total of 11 goals while conceding six and are a perfect five-for-five on the penalty kill.

The Canadiens have faced a 1-0 series deficit in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup final on 10 occasions, going on to win five of those series. Montreal has pulled even in Game 2 after facing a 1-0 series deficit in each of its last four Cup final appearances (1993, 1989, 1986 and 1979), outscoring opponents 16-8 in those contests.

Carey Price wasn’t quite himself in Game 1, allowing five goals on 27 shots. Coming off a loss in the playoffs, he’s got a GAA of 2.45 and a .916 save percentage with five shutouts in 32 games. He is also 3-0 in each of his last three contests dating back to Game 5 of the first round (1.99 GAA, .935 save percentage).

What history says

Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup final hold an all-time series record of 61-20 (.753). However, this hasn’t held true in the past three years as the Capitals (2018), St. Louis Blues (2019) and Lightning (2020) have all dropped the opener but went on to win rings.

The Bolts have never owned a 2-0 series lead in either of their three previous Cup final appearances. Teams that win each of their first two games in a best-of-seven final hold an all-time series record of 46-5 (.902).

The Canadiens account for two of the five instances in which a club rallied to win after falling behind 2-0, achieving the feat in 1966 and 1971. The Maple Leafs in 1942, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and the Boston Bruins in 2011 have also rallied from 2-0 deficits in the Cup final.