Playoffs Preview and Live Thread - May 9

Only one game on the slate for tonight, but it's a big one for Le Club de Hockey. The Habs face elimination for the second time against the Lightning of Tampa Bay, this time at Centre Bell. Game time is 7:00pm in the ET, 5:00pm in the Mountain and can be seen on NBCSN.

In game 4, the Canadiens dominated in a 6-2 blowout and avoided a sweep at the hands of a team they swept last year in the first round. The previously anemic offense got on the board 2:44 into the game on a goal from Andrei Markov and Max Pacioretty added a shortie 6 minutes later. David Desharnais chased Tampa goalie Ben Bishop early in the 2nd period with a weird slapshot that seemed to fly out of his glove and into the net of it's own accord. Le CH ended up ahead in shots on goal 40-24 and shots at net 71-43. They need a repeat performance and to hope for more shaky goalie play from Bishop to continue the series beyond tonight.

Expect: rockin' tunes from the Bell Centre DJ, long stretches of grindy conservative hockey from both teams, a hero, a goat and plenty of beer at the 06 household

Root for the Canadiens: if you grew up in Montreal, New Canaan, CT or even if you're just smart like me and picked the Habs to win it all in the MHH Bracket Challenge.

Root for the Bolts: if you want to see a nice rested team to take on what's left of the Rags/Caps after their grueling yet soporific series goes 7 games.