The Tampa Bay Lightning have no illusions about their performance in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. After a 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Lightning know they must step up their game to level the series when they host Montreal for Game 2 on Tuesday.

In the opening game, Montreal capitalized on Tampa Bay's mistakes, with Juraj Slafkovsky netting all three of the Canadiens' power-play goals, including the overtime winner. The Lightning, more experienced in the playoffs, found themselves repeatedly caught in undisciplined situations, taking unnecessary penalties.

"I'm confident in this room," said Lightning forward Nick Paul after Monday's practice. "That's one game."

Both teams exchanged leads throughout the game, with special teams playing a pivotal role. Tampa Bay was able to score twice on the power play, but their overall performance left much to be desired. Lightning coach Jon Cooper noted that while the team did some things well at 5-on-5, there were areas that still needed improvement.

"It was tight checking. Probably the opposite of what everybody thought this series would be like," Cooper commented. "There were a lot of good things to come on that side of the puck. But on the other side of it, we didn't generate a whole ton."

The Lightning also face a troublesome trend—they've now lost seven consecutive playoff games that have gone to overtime, a streak that dates back to their loss in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche.

"That's not on our mind," said forward Anthony Cirelli. "We've got to go. Our emotions have to be up. We just have to have that urgency to win a game."

As the series continues, the Lightning are also dealing with injury concerns. Defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous left Game 1 after taking a hard hit from Josh Anderson. Cooper confirmed that D'Astous is doubtful for Game 2 but refrained from announcing whether Max Crozier or Declan Carlile would be called up to the lineup if needed.

On the other hand, the Canadiens, who have not won a series since 2021, are eager to build on their Game 1 victory. However, they are cautious, knowing that the Lightning will come out with more desperation in Game 2.

"You obviously don't want to go down 2-0, so they're going to be more desperate," said Canadiens forward Jake Evans. "They have a lot of high-end skilled players, (they're) probably not too happy with how things went, and (they) want to make a big push."

While Montreal earned the win, their performance wasn’t flawless. They let two one-goal leads slip away, allowing the Lightning to tie the game both times with power-play goals. Goaltender Jakub Dobes also had to stand tall early on to fend off a strong push from Tampa Bay.

Looking ahead, Montreal knows they’ll need to tighten up their play, especially when it comes to staying out of the penalty box and improving at even strength.

"That was the first game, and I think there's a little bit of a feeling-out process," said Canadiens forward Cole Caufield. "As a line, we can't really take any risks, and they don't give up much. We're gonna find ways. We're gonna find the answers."

For the Canadiens, it’s clear that the Lightning will come back stronger, and they need to be ready for whatever changes the Tampa Bay squad will make.

"Changes are going to be made every game," Caufield added. "There's something we can clean up and do better at. I expect the same from them. They're a well-coached team. We've got to be ready for whatever."

With both teams eager to push for a critical win in Game 2, the stage is set for an intense battle as the series continues. -Field Level Media/Reuters