Gerard Gallant spoke before Game One and said (NYR):
- On the quick turnaround, “quick turnaround is good. We played 14 games in 28 days, but you play a game, have a day off and you don’t practice. Guys enjoy it.”
- On the Kid line producing offense, “that is why we are still here. We are getting scoring from that line and the fourth line is chipping in. If you are going to advance in the playoffs, deep into the playoffs, you need scoring from everybody and those kids really stepped it up and played good hockey, no doubt.”
- What are the chances we see Sammy Blais this series, “I can’t see it, but I don’t know. He’s skating, it’s unlikely.”
- Is it because of the surgery that he had, “everybody wants to make sure. He’s been out, he hasn’t played a game. It’s not like he played in the AHL for 2-3 weeks, he hasn’t played a hockey game in six months. Very unlikely.”
- On Nick Paul of Tampa who Gallant coached at the World Championships last year, “Character guy, works hard. Scored a big goal for us, obviously. Outstanding kid, really liked him, works hard every shift, plays the right way, good kid all around.”
Brayden Point skated on his own following the Tampa morning skate. (Kaplan)
Tampa coach Jon Cooper said to “temper expectations” with Point and that the team hadn’t planned on him playing this series. (Smith)
Tampa is expected to use the following lines (TBL):
- Steven Stamkos – Anthony Cirelli – Nikita Kucherov
- Ondrej Palat – Nick Paul – Alex Killorn
- Brandon Hagel – Ross Colton – Corey Perry
- Pat Maroon – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
- Victor Hedman – Erik Cernak
- Ryan McDonagh – Zach Bogosian
- Mikhail Sergachev – Cal Foote
- Jan Rutta