Schedule and 2013-14 Results
Regular Season Records: Tampa Bay 46-27-9=101pts, Montreal 46-28-8=100pts
Game 1 on Wednesday, 16 April: Montreal wins at Tampa Bay, 5-goals-4 (OT)
Game 2 on Friday, 18 April: Montreal wins at Tampa Bay, 4-goals-1
Game 3 on Sunday, 20 April: Tampa Bay loses at Montreal, 3-goals-2
Game 4 on Tuesday, 22 April: Tampa Bay loses at Montreal, 4-goals-3

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 4: The Montreal Canadiens hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-goals-3 to achieve a 4-games-nil sweep of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1222. With the series 1222 victory, the Montreal Canadiens improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 75-38 overall and 13-7 in the Preliminary round. With the 1222 series loss, the Tampa Bay Lightning see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 7-6 overall and 3-4 in the Preliminary round. Series 1222 thus becomes the 27th NHL Preliminary-round series, the 111th NHL series (all rounds), and the 203rd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to end in a four-game sweep. The 75 best-of-7 NHL playoff series victories, the 365 best-of-7 NHL playoff game victories, and the 22 Game 4 victories when up 3-games-nil in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series are all MLB/NBA/NHL bests for the Montreal Canadiens.

After Game 3: The Montreal Canadiens hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-goals-2 to improve their best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1222 lead to 3-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 30-0 and a Game 4 record of 21-9. The Tampa Bay Lightning are trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil for the first time, and become the 317th MLB/NBA/NHL team to try to dig their way out of the 3-games-nil hole for a best-of-7 playoff series victory (four teams previously have succeeded). The 21 Game 4 victories by the Montreal Canadiens when leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil are an MLB/NBA/NHL high in that situation. Montreal scored the opening goal of series 1222 Game 3 only eleven seconds into the game: That goal was the fourth-fastest goal by a home team to begin a best-of-7 format NHL playoff game, the eighth-fastest goal by a home or road team to begin a best-of-7 format NHL playoff game, and the fastest since the Buffalo Sabres scored nine seconds into series 1002 Game 4 (in Ottawa against the Senators during the 2007 NHL Semifinals series between the two teams).

After Game 2: The Montreal Canadiens visited and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1222 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 48-5 and a Game 3 record of 30-23 (with an active four-Game 3 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 1-1 and a Game 3 record of 2-0.

After Game 1: The Montreal Canadiens visited and bested the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-goals-4 in the first overtime period to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1222 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 58-11 and a Game 2 record of 53-16. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 3-4 and a Game 2 record of 5-2 (but with an active four-Game 2 winning streak). Series 1222 Game 1 thus becomes the 70th best-of-7 format NHL playoff Game 1 victory for the Montreal Canadiens – an MLB/NBA/NHL-best in that context.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2013-14 NHL regular season, Tampa Bay finished one point ahead of Montreal. From 1939 through the 2013 NHL Finals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by one regular-season point, they have posted a 12-6 (.667) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1222 is the 113th best-of-7 playoff series for Montreal, and the 13th for Tampa Bay. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, Montreal has a 74-38 series record, a 12-7 Preliminary-round series record, and a 69-43 Game 1 record, while Tampa Bay has a 7-5 series record, a 3-3 Preliminary-round series record, and a 5-7 Game 1 record. Series 1222 is the second best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between Montreal and Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay won series 914 between the two teams in the 2004 NHL Quarterfinals round, en route to the 2004 NHL championship.