Did Lightning snatch playoff momentum from Canadiens? | HI/O Show

The Canadiens were able to split the first two games of their first-round playoff series against the Lightning in Tampa, with both games decided in overtime.

In what is now a best-of-five series, the Canadiens have home-ice advantage with Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday at the Bell Centre.

But has the momentum in the series shifted to the Lightning after the Canadiens blew a 2-1 third-period lead in Game 2 because of big mistakes by Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach?

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel stares down Canadiens winger Josh Anderson during Game 2 Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. Dirk Shadd / Tampa Bay Times

That’s the main question answered on this week’s Hockey Inside/Out Show, as The Gazette’s Stu Cowan is joined by former Canadiens teammates and 1986 Stanley Cup champions Chris Nilan and Rick Green.

The panel also discusses Slafkovsky’s costly giveaway in the third period, when he threw the puck up the middle of the ice in the defensive zone, which resulted in the tying goal, and Dach’s lazy icing of the puck in overtime and then failing to cover his man on the ensuing faceoff that resulted in the winning goal for the Lightning.

Nilan also weighs in on whether Slafkovsky should be fighting after he got dropped by a right hand to the chin from the Lightning’s Brandon Hagel, who is one inch shorter and 40 pounds lighter than the Canadiens winger.

Also, should Dach come out of the lineup for Game 3 and, if so, who should replace him — Joe Veleno or Brendan Gallagher?

The panel also weighs in on which Canadiens players have stood out the most during the first two games of the series and what the biggest factor will be moving forward.

We’ll have three playoff bonus episodes of the Hockey Inside/Out Show coming up during the next few days, so you can look for those. And if you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the Hockey Inside/Out YouTube channel. The Hockey Inside/Out Show is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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