The Tampa Bay Lightning getting through the playoff gauntlet to defend their crown and be the first back to back winner of the Stanley Cup since the Pittsburgh Penguins won in 2016 & 2017 is hardly a surprise. That they’re taking on the Montreal Canadiens? Yeah, there’s not a person in the world who predicted this.
Let’s be fair, though. Montreal is full value for this trip to the Cup. Could they have done this without Carey Price playing some of the best hockey of his career? Of course not.