from Mike Boone of Hockey Inside/Out,

One game does not a series make. And one double-overtime loss doesn’t end the Canadiens’ season.

It was, however, the Canadiens sixth straight loss to Tampa since Pacioretty’s series winner. The Lightning won all five regular-season games against the Canadiens in 2014-’15. And Nikita Kucherov’s goal, just over two minutes into the second OT period Friday night made it six straight – in a game the Canadiens should have won.

While the Canadiens completed their opening-round elimination of Ottawa last Sunday night in Kanata, the Lightning had to battle back from a 3-2 series deficit against Detroit, finally knocking off the Wings in a seventh-game squeaker Wednesday night.

As the series against Tampa began, the Canadiens were the rested team. And as overtime wore on, the rested team should have had an advantage.

That might have been the case had the game lasted longer. But Kucherov ended it before the Canadiens could register a shot on Ben Bishop in the second OT period.

Most of the stats favoured the Canadiens: a 44-35 shot advantage, 34 blocked shots to 27 for Tampa Bay, a 43-32 margin in hits, 55 wins in 89 faceoffs.

But we all know the only stat that counts is the final score.

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Below, watch Sportnet's 'Mashup' of the game...