Stanley Cup 2021 picks: Here's how Lightning-Canadiens series will play out

The Tampa Bay Lightning are one series victory away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions.

The Montreal Canadiens, who hold the record for most Stanley Cup titles at 24, can end a 28-year championship drought for their franchise and for their country.

The winner of the 2021 season will be determined when the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final starts Monday night.

The Canadiens have been the surprise of the playoffs as they finished fourth in the North Division, but ranked 18th among all teams with 59 points. They won series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights despite starting on the road. The Lightning, who got past the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders, will start at home for the second consecutive series.

Here is who Paste BN Sports' experts predict will be hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup when the series concludes:

Lightning in six: I have not chosen the Canadiens once in these playoffs, and I won't go there now. Even though the Canadiens have been impressive and fully deserving of reaching the Final, Tampa Bay can match (and exceed) them all over the ice. While the Canadiens boast a very committed, 200-foot team, the Lightning have that and more, including more explosive top-end talent on offense (Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, to name a few contributors) and more depth, including a defense I give the slight edge to because of Victor Hedman and the way Ryan McDonagh played in the last series. Sure, Carey Price has been tremendous. But so has Andrei Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay is also battle-tested as a group, with an experienced coach in Jon Cooper that can win the playoff chess matches.   -- Jimmy Hascup

Lightning in seven: I incorrectly picked against the Canadiens in every round and correctly picked the Lightning in every round. As much as I like the way the Canadiens are playing, I'm going to have to go with the Lightning. Goalie Carey Price is playing brilliantly, but Andrei Vasilevskiy has been slightly better. The Lightning's offense has been more productive, and their power play (37.7%) has been dangerous. The Canadiens don't take a lot of penalties and their penalty killing is tops in the postseason, but the Lightning should sneak in enough goals on the power play to make a difference in a tight series. -- Mike Brehm

Lightning in six: I have picked against the Canadiens every single round and they have repeatedly made me look a fool, but I'm going to bet against them one more time. Tampa has talent in spades -- Brayden Point already has 14 goals these playoffs -- as well as toughness. as leading scorer Nikita Kucherov showed in his return to the lineup in Game 7 against the Islanders after missing almost all of Game 6 with an injury. And though this is a cliché, the Bolts also know how to defend to win this time of year: Backstopped by Andrei Vasilevskiy, they've pitched shutouts in four games, including all three series clinchers. The Lightning are a team on a mission to repeat, a feat that would make them arguably the greatest team of the salary cap era. I think they get it done. -- Jace Evans

Canadiens in six: Finally, an East vs. East matchup in the Stanley Cup Final. Montreal took six playoff games to overtime, and the Canadiens won five of those contests. On offense, Tampa Bay has the advantage, with the top five playoff points leaders wearing Lightning jerseys. But let’s not forget that Tampa Bay has lost to “worse” teams before (see the 2019 series against the Blue Jackets). Montreal’s Cole Caufield has been the hottest rookie in the postseason, and the Canadiens are 8-1 when he records at least one point. But relying on a rookie is risky, and ultimately this series is going to come down to goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy thrives under playoff pressure, and he’s eyeing his second Cup in as many years. Carey Price, frankly, is the reason the Canadiens made it this far. He already has an Olympic gold, and he wants his first Stanley Cup. Conveniently ignoring that the Lightning defense is stacked – and few players rival what Victor Hedman does on the ice – I think Price has enough drive and playoff experience to pull it off. -- Alyssa Hertel