Bolts Strike Early, Take 3-0 Lead

MONTREAL (AP) – The Tampa Bay Lightning are one victory away from joining the Pittsburgh Penguins as the only teams in the last 22 years to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning own a three-games-to-none lead following a 6-3 win over the Canadiens in Montreal. Tyler Johnson scored twice to help the Bolts inch closer to the third Cup in team history. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each had a goal and assist for the Lightning, who outscored the Canadiens, 2-1 in each period. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots in the first NHL game ever played in July. The Canadiens were hosting a Cup Final game for the first time since 1993. They never recovered after Jan Rutta and Hedman scored in the first 3 1/2 minutes. Carey Price stopped 24 shots for the Habs, who will try to avoid a sweep on Monday in Montreal.