Montreal Canadiens May Have a Secret Weapon Against Nikita Kucherov in the Playoffs

It's now set in stone. Following the final games of the NHL regular season, the Montreal Canadiens officially know who they'll be facing in the first round of the playoffs — and it's none other than the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning. The series is expected to kick off this Sunday in Tampa Bay, and hockey fans everywhere are bracing for what could be an epic showdown between two of the league's top teams this season.

On paper, this matchup looks like it could go the distance. Both clubs finished among the best in the overall NHL standings, and their regular-season head-to-head record tells the story perfectly. The two teams split their four meetings this year, each winning twice. Tampa took a dominant 6-1 victory on December 9, 2025, and edged Montreal 5-4 in a shootout on December 28. But the Canadiens bounced back with a convincing 4-1 win on March 31, 2026, and closed out the season series with a tight 2-1 victory on April 9. The total goal count was nearly identical — 12 for Tampa Bay and 11 for Montreal — underscoring just how evenly matched these two teams are.

Why Tampa Bay Is a Formidable Opponent

Statistically, the Lightning hold some notable advantages heading into this series. They scored more goals per game and allowed fewer than Montreal during the regular season. They also boast one of the league's best penalty kills, which could neutralize the Canadiens' superior power play. And then, of course, there's the Nikita Kucherov factor. The Russian superstar reached the 130-point plateau once again this season, cementing his status as one of the most dangerous offensive players on the planet. Shutting him down will be no small task for any team, let alone in a high-pressure playoff environment.

But Montreal may have an unexpected card up its sleeve — and it's a player with a very specific history against Kucherov.

During an appearance on the podcast Le Retour with Martin Lemay, hockey analyst Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre brought up a fascinating piece of playoff history. He recalled the legendary 2019 first-round series in which the eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets stunned the hockey world by sweeping the heavily favored Lightning, who had finished first overall in the regular season. It was one of the most shocking upsets in recent NHL history, and one player played a particularly memorable role in making it happen.

Alexandre Texier: Montreal's Potential X-Factor

That player was Alexandre Texier, who was with Columbus at the time and played under the notoriously intense coach John Tortorella. According to Grand-Pierre, Texier was an absolute pest on the ice during that series, getting under Kucherov's skin so effectively that the Tampa Bay star completely lost his composure. Kucherov's frustration boiled over to the point where he was actually suspended for a game after losing his cool — a testament to just how rattled Texier made him.

Now that Texier is part of the Canadiens' roster, the question becomes whether he can reprise that role under head coach Martin St. Louis. Could he once again become the thorn in Kucherov's side and give Montreal a psychological edge in what promises to be a grueling series?

It's an intriguing storyline heading into the playoffs. While Tampa Bay clearly has the offensive firepower and defensive structure to be dangerous, the Canadiens may have found their secret weapon in a player who has already proven he can throw one of the game's best players off his game. If Texier can channel that same disruptive energy from 2019, it could be the difference-maker Montreal needs to pull off what would be a memorable first-round triumph.

With the series set to begin Sunday in Tampa Bay, fans on both sides are counting down the hours. One thing seems certain: this is going to be a battle that goes deep, and every matchup — especially the one between Texier and Kucherov — will be worth watching closely.