MONTREAL - If it's at all possible for the Canadiens to simply divorce themselves from the first half of the season by building on a convincing win in Ottawa to kick off their second half, they'll have to put the pedal down against a vulnerable Lightning team in Tampa tonight.

Star defenceman Victor Hedman went down to injury in the Lightning's last game, and while there was concern over Eric Brewer's eligibility for tonight's game, it's expected that he'll be ready to play.

The Lightning are attempting to revive their playoff hopes by building on a solid 5-1 performance over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Previous to that win the team had sputtered to just three wins over 12 games, leaving them two points behind the Canadiens with a game in-hand.


Breaking the Trap

Guy Boucher's defensive system--the 1-3-1--has garnered a lot of criticism this season after a controversial game with the Flyers had both teams standing still. The Lightning like to sit back with all five players in the neutral zone. They cut off all the passing lanes and force teams to play a dump and chase game.

Are the Canadiens willing to do the hard work it'll require to beat that system tonight?

As mentioned above, Hedman's absence from a defense core that's been categorized as one of the weaker ones in the league provides a certain vulnerability for the Canadiens to attack, but they've been known to sit back, trying to play mistake-free hockey much like the Lightning do.

The Habs have also been prone to turning the puck over in the neutral zone, which certainly plays to the Lightning's advantage.

If the Canadiens can get the puck up the ice quickly and commit to putting pressure on the Lightning behind their own goal line, it should bear fruit. If they tentatively try to break the trap by passing through it, they'll be in for a very tough night.

There's a lot of speed in the Tampa Bay forward group, led by Steven Stamkos and his 22 goals on the season.


Spreading out the Offence

Randy Cunneyworth pushed all the right buttons ahead of the game in Ottawa, Tuesday.

After sitting Lars Eller and P.K. Subban, he got multi-point nights from both of them.

Most importantly, Mike Cammalleri scored his first goal in 11 games next to new linemates in David Desharnais and Louis Leblanc. The line showed a great deal of offensive creativity against the Senators and it seemed to reinvigorate Cammalleri, who was clearly committed to a stronger defensive effort.

Tomas Plekanec, Travis Moen and Andrei Kostitsyn struggled a bit on the defensive side of the puck against the Sens, but also contributed some key offense in the game.

Eller's first shot with Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty gave Canadiens fans a chance to see the young Dane produce with confidence.

Having the balance on the top three lines made a big difference in the Canadiens overcoming an early-game deficit.


Price Ready to Roll

Consistency is everything in this league, and if the other parts of the team find rhythm, Carey Price served notice against the Senators that he'll be there to make the big saves, at the right time.

Considering the Canadiens' record this season and their inability to consistently provide scoring Price's numbers are pretty impressive, with a .914 SA% and a 2.44 GAA. More performances like the one against the Senators will only help him boost those numbers. But if you ask the young netminder about it, he'll tell you the only thing he cares about is building on the 13 wins he's accumulated in 32 appearances.

Price has been through tough times before with the Habs, this year being no exception. Canadiens fans can be thankful he's had the experience because he's handling the hardships of a losing season with great maturity and poise.

If the team's to turn things around it'll be on Price's brilliant, confidence-inspiring performances. Building momentum starts tonight in Tampa. We'll see if the team's up to the challenge as Price has served noticed that he certainly is.