Lightning veteran Corey Perry is once again in a familiar spot. His Tampa Bay team is in a Game 7 situation once again.

The Montreal Canadiens are proving to be much more than a one-line team in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, something that has come as a surprise to many.

Tampa enters the postseason as possibly the favorite to come out of the East but a key blueline injury could derail their hopes. Carolina looks go to one step beyond last year and make it to the Stanley Cup Final while several other teams are also in the mix.

It’s hard to imagine a Tampa Bay Lightning postseason without Victor Hedman, the future Hall of Fame defenseman drafted by the organization in 2009 and now in his 17th season with the team. His loyalty has long been rooted in both the city and the franchise. Still, if the Lightning are forced to move forward without him, they’ve shown they’ll be prepared.

Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov has been named the NHL’s First Star of the Month for March, joining Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pavel Zacha of the Boston Bruins as the league’s “Three Stars.”

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Lightning find themselves in a tight race atop the Atlantic Division. They currently sit two points behind the Buffalo Sabres with a game in hand, while holding just a two-point cushion over the third-place Montreal Canadiens.

The Tampa Bay Lightning added to their prospect pipeline on Tuesday, signing forward Noah Steen to a two-year, entry-level contract set to begin with the 2026-27 season.

Steven Stamkos returned to Tampa on Sunday for the second time as a member of the Nashville Predators, a more routine visit compared to the emotional homecoming he had in his first trip back last season. After 16 years with one organization, the familiarity is still there, but this time felt like less of a shock.

Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists while Corey Perry broke a third-period tie to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators on Sunday to move into first place in the Atlantic Division. Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, who improved to 6-0-2 in the past eight games. Guentzel has scored in four consecutive games.