The set-up: The Tampa Bay Lightning are not quite dead, remaining alive with a 4-1 victory at Toronto on Thursday. The 40-30-1 Lightning can still make the postseason with two wins and some help. They will have to win tonight, when they visit the 46-25-9 Montreal Canadiens, the Atlantic Division champs, who currently have 101 points.

Tampa Bay: The Maple Leafs hold the second wild-card spot with 93 points, while the Lightning and Islanders each have 90 points with two contests left. Tampa Bay needs Toronto to lose its next two games in regulation, the Islanders to lose at least once and to win both of its last two in regulation. That's a daunting proposition.

Montreal: Having clinched the Atlantic Division title at the start of the week, the Canadiens are in full-on playoff preparation mode. The team's final countdown of the regular season kicked off with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, snapping Montreal's five-game winning streak.


The pick: Obviously, the Lightning have more at stake but here's the rub. Since losing their 2015 second-round playoff series to Tampa Bay, the Canadiens have not lost in regulation in seven meetings with the Lightning (6-0-1). Goaltender Carey Price is expected to make his last start of the regular season for the Canadiens and is 12-3-0 in his last 15 decisions and has allowed just 29 goals in the past 18 contests. Make Montreal an 8* play