The Tampa Bay Lightning answered several questions Monday night in their quest for a Stanley Cup repeat.
How effective would leading scorer Nikita Kucherov be after missing all but one shift of Game 6 in the last round?
Could their spectacular power play connect against the Montreal Canadiens’ even more impressive penalty killing unit and could they solve goalie Carey Price?
Kucherov scored twice and Steven Stamkos connected on the power play in the third period as the defending champion Lightning piled on for a 5-1 win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
They got the puck past Price with deflections and screens.
“I think that’s the key, going on the inside,