Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning FREE WATCH NHL Playoffs Live Streaming Online from Tampa at 7:00 PM ET

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper grudgingly gave up the news.

Injured goaltender Ben Bishop will not play in Game 1 of the team's Eastern Conference playoff series against Montreal, however the Lightning doesn't feel they'll be at a disadvantage with backup Anders Lindback.

Lindback won three games after Bishop was lost to elbow injury last week, keying a surge that enabled Tampa Bay to gain home-ice advantage in the first-round matchup.

The Lightning won three of four low-scoring games against Montreal during the regular season, and they expect more of the same now that the stakes are higher.

"I think a lot of people, prior to Ben going down, thought this was going to be a big-time series in net. I think it's still going to be," Cooper said Tuesday after practice at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Bishop set Tampa Bay franchise records for victories, goals-against average and save percentage this season, while Lindback was much less effective until his team needed him most.

The 25-year-old from Sweden stepped in after Bishop was injured to stop all 25 shots he faced in a victory over Toronto, then beat Philadelphia and Washington over the next five days to lift the Lightning over the Canadiens for the third-best record in the East.

This is the second postseason meeting between Tampa Bay swept Montreal. The Canadiens swept Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2004.

The game can be viewed on CNBC and on nhl.aoso.ru/‎