May 6, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) and defenseman Victor Hedman (77) celebrate the 2-1 victory following the third period of game three of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Canadiens are on the verge of elimination as they prepare for Game 4 in Tampa Bay against the Lightning on Thursday. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on CBC and TVA.

Match Up

The Habs can’t possibly lose nine straight to the Lightning this season, can they? A better question at this point might be, is there any way the Canadiens can beat a team that’s had their number all season? The Canadiens have out-shot the Bolts 104 to 68 in the second round, but they’ve been outscored 10-4.

What to Watch

Canadiens: My kingdom for a top-six forward. While the Canadiens were able to generate lots of chances on Wednesday and throughout this series, they were missing the skill, or luck maybe, to finish on most of them. Probability says the Habs shooting percentage has to improve at some point, but time has all but run out.

Lightning: Ben Bishop has been stellar in this series, and not just at stopping pucks. Bishop has already been credited with drawing three penalties for the Lightning this series. His three wins in three games and .962 save percentage aren’t bad either.

What’s at Stake

It’s almost too much to ask for the Habs to climb their way back from a 3-0 series deficit, but they’re not eliminated yet. A win on Thursday will send the series back to Montreal and the Canadiens can bring Saturday night hockey back to their fans for at least one more time this season. That alone should be motivation to get the job done.

Who’s Out

The Canadiens are missing Nathan Beaulieu (upper body). The Bolts were missing Cedric Paquette in Game 3 on Wednesday, he should be a game time decision on Thursday.

What Else

If you’re feeling down about the Canadiens being on the brink of elimination, maybe this will cheer you up: The Habs are about to play their tenth playoff game this post-season, that’s more than the Maple Leafs have played since the 2004-2005 lockout. It’s more than the Leafs and Oilers combined for last nine seasons, and more than the Leafs, Oilers, and Hurricanes combined through the last seven.

So really, things could always be worse.