NHL Playoffs 2021: Latest Stanley Cup Standings, Predictions and Key Storylines

David Becker/Associated Press

For the first time since 1993, the Montreal Canadiens are heading to the Stanley Cup Final. Next, they could be ending their nation’s championship drought.

There hasn’t been a team from Canada win the Cup since the Habs in their previous Stanley Cup Final appearance, when they defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games. They will get an opportunity to reclaim it after their six-game series win over the Vegas Golden Knights in this season’s Stanley Cup semifinals.

Montreal notched a 3-2 overtime win at home in Game 6 on Thursday night, knocking off a Vegas team that many expected to make a title run. The Canadiens have been a surprise team considering they had the fewest regular-season points of any team to make the playoffs; they wouldn’t have made the postseason were they in any division but the North.

The Habs will learn their Stanley Cup Final opponent Friday night, when the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New York Islanders in a winner-take-all Game 7 matchup.

Here’s everything else you need to know at this point in the postseason.

Stanley Cup Semifinal Results, Schedule

No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 4 Montreal Canadiens

Game 1: Vegas won 4-1Game 2: Montreal won 3-2Game 3: Montreal won 3-2 (OT)Game 4: Vegas won 2-1 (OT)Game 5: Montreal won 4-1Game 6: Montreal won 3-2 (OT)

No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 4 New York Islanders

Game 1: New York won 2-1.Game 2: Tampa Bay won 4-2Game 3: Tampa Bay won 2-1Game 4: New York won 3-2Game 5: Tampa Bay won 8-0Game 6: New York won 3-2 (OT)Game 7: Friday at 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

Key Storylines, Predictions

Not only did it seem like the Canadiens may not make the playoffs, but their postseason also got off to a slow start. Montreal trailed the Toronto Maple Leafs, expected to be a Stanley Cup contender, 3-1 in the opening round. Things weren’t looking great for the Habs.

Then the Canadiens won three straight elimination games to stun the Maple Leafs before sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. Still, Montreal had plenty of doubters entering its matchup against Vegas.

Yet the Canadiens continue to thrive as underdogs. They lost Game 1 to the Golden Knights and then never trailed again the rest of the series. Once the series was tied at two, Montreal won Games 5 and 6 to advance.

No matter who wins between the Lightning and Islanders, the victor will likely be the favorite against the Canadiens. But that won’t change how Montreal is feeling—or the fact that it has one goal in mind.

“We wouldn’t be here right now if we didn’t believe,” Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said, per John Wawrow of the Associated Press. “We’ve believed this whole time, and obviously we’re ecstatic and we have a lot of work left to do.”

It’s possible that the Canadiens will be going up against the Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning are one win away from returning to the Stanley Cup Final, wherein they defeated the Dallas Stars in six games last year to win the second championship in franchise history.

Or the Habs could be facing a team that has a longer Stanley Cup Final drought than they did. The Islanders haven’t been there since 1984, and they haven’t won the Cup since winning it every year from 1979-80 to 1982-83.

Tampa Bay had a chance to put away New York on the road in Game 6, but the Isles staved off elimination with a 3-2 overtime win. On Friday, the Lightning return to their home ice, where they beat the Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 and will be seeking the same type of production.

“I can’t guarantee the result,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said, per Fred Goodall of the Associated Press. “But I know we’ll show up.”

And that should lead to the Lightning notching a Game 7 win to advance. They have an experienced team that continues to play well defensively and has the offensive leadership to prevail.

In fact, that will also guide Tampa Bay past Montreal and to its second consecutive Stanley Cup victory. The Lightning have too much talent and experience for the Canadiens to complete their underdog run.

The Stanley Cup Final will start out competitive, but expect Tampa Bay to close things out when it needs to.

Prediction: Tampa Bay tops Montreal in six games in Stanley Cup Final.