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BROSSARD, Que. -- Those impatient for the Stanley Cup to return to Canada will have just one team to root for in the NHL playoffs -- the Montreal Canadiens. For the first time since 1973, only one Canadian team has qualified for the NHL post-season. The Canadiens will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round, with only home ice advantage to be decided in the final regular-season games on the weekend. Defenceman Josh Gorges said Friday he expects a lot of attention, but it will be no more pressure than what the team deals with every day of the season. "There may be more eyes within Canada watching our games," the Kelowna, B.C. native said. "In Canada, they have their loyalties to their local teams, but come playoff time, youve watched when Vancouver was in the Cup (final) a few years ago. "Calgary, Edmonton, the same thing. The whole country rallies around because they want to see a Stanley Cup come back to Canada. But I dont think it adds anything. Theres enough pressure just because of what were trying to accomplish." In 1973, the Canadiens were the lone Canadian playoff team and they won the Cup. They are also the last Canadian team to win a Cup in 1993. They are widely considered to be long shots to go more than a round or two this time, even though theyve had an excellent season, have Canadian Olympic gold medallist Carey Price in goal, and got a major boost at the trade deadline in scoring winger Thomas Vanek. Last season, four Canadian teams made the playoffs. Only two made it in the two seasons before that. It seems odd that clubs with such enthusiastic fans and which sell out every game have so much trouble finishing in the top eight in their conferences. But Gorges said the added attention may be what makes it so difficult. "Its a little bit strange, but at the same time, its not easy playing in Canadian markets," he said. "On a lot of teams in the States, theres nothing more to it than going out and playing the game and getting the two points, whereas a lot of times in Canada, you cant escape hockey. "No matter where you go, theres added, outside things that affect your performance. I think weve done a good job here of trying to find that balance, but that could, maybe, be a reason why some Canadian teams havent been in there." The Canadiens have reached the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, missing in 2012. Their best season since 1993 was in 2010 when they reached the Eastern Conference final. The Vancouver Canucks saw a run of five straight trips to the post-season end this season. "Going into the season, you look at all the Canadian teams and youd think most of them would be contending," said Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher. "For us, being the only one, well probably have some of Canada on our side. "Some of them will still hate us, but it doesnt change what we do and how we have to prepare." The second-year forwards only playoff experience was in an all-Canadian series last spring, when Montreal was beaten in five games by the Ottawa Senators. "Theres so much expectation for Canadian teams to compete because the fans are so passionate and they care so much," said Gallagher, an Edmonton native. "Every fan base in Canada expects their team to be in the playoffs every year. "Im sure next year it will be different, but for us, it doesnt change anything. Were happy to be where we are and want to take advantage of it." While having only one team is rare, its an improvement on 1970, when no Canadian teams made it. Bobby Orrs Boston Bruins beat St. Louis in the final that year. The Canadiens, who are 0-for-20 on the power play in their last seven games, worked mostly on special teams going into their regular season finale Saturday night at home against the New York Rangers. The Canadiens hope a win coupled with a Tampa Bay loss will let them start the playoffs at home, but they dont seem to be sweating it one way or the other. "If its us or Tampa Bay that has home ice advantage, we dont know," said coach Michel Therrien. "But I can predict what the answers will be when we know on Sunday night: The team that has it will be really happy and the team that doesnt will say it doesnt matter." Forward Lars Eller didnt skate and it likely to miss a third game with a flu. Winger Brandon Prust is also out with an upper body injury. Therrien expects him to be ready for the playoffs but cautioned "were not quite sure yet." Forward Travis Moen, out eight games with a concussion, is also a question mark. Winger Michael Blunden was recalled from AHL Hamilton. The Canadiens announced that captain Brian Gionta edged out Gallagher for the Jacques Beauchamp Trophy as the teams unsung hero in voting by the local media. The two-way right winger has played 80 games this season after missing a large part of the last two campaigns with biceps injuries. "From the outside looking in, fans may not realize how important he is," Gorges said of Gionta. "Its not always about how many points you get, its what you do to help the team win games." 17:39ET 11-04-14 Custom Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys . Canada Day is here and with it comes Free Agent Frenzy as the NHLs 30 teams storm out of the gate for signing season. Custom New York Yankees Jerseys . They have watched it from afar. And now they have seen it for themselves. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-philadelphia-phillies-jerseys-664x.html .com) - The Miami Heat will try to close out the Charlotte Bobcats Monday night in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first round series. Custom St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys .com) - James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back and willed them to an overtime victory on Thursday. Custom Texas Rangers Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Florida – Heading into Thursday nights action, Dioner Navarro had caught 14 innings combined from starters Drew Hutchison and Mark Buehrle. WINNIPEG -- Mark Scheifele was sporting a split lip Thursday after the Winnipeg Jets took to the ice for the first time at camp this season. But the young forward is more than willing to shed a little blood if thats what it takes to make the team this season. "It caught me pretty good, dazed me for that shift, but I didnt want to be off the ice for too long," he said after practice, his lip still bleeding a little despite the plastic stitches holding it together. Scheifele has played 11 games with the Jets since he was drafted in 2011. The last two seasons he was sent back to the Barrie Colts, his junior team in the Ontario Hockey League. He was a major force for the Colts during the playoffs last spring but was injured for the last game and the Colts missed out on a berth in the Memorial Cup. The Jets know they need more offensive talent for a second and perhaps third line as they enter the more competitive Central Division and Western Conference under realignment. Last season, Winnipeg consistently fielded only one solid top-six line -- Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little and team captain Andrew Ladd. The Jets were unable to find the right mix to complement the obvious scoring talent of left-winger Evander Kane. The four of them still scored almost half of the 128 goals the Jets scored last season and had a combined total of 152 points. Olli Jokinen spent some time with Kane but failed to live up to the potential his statistics suggest is there. The Jets acquired Devin Setoguchi and Michael Frolik in the off-season to add more depth. Kane, Scheifele and Setoguchi lined up at times in a scrimmage Thursday but all know its too early to say how things would shake outt.dddddddddddd "It was good, we made some nice plays, we won the hockey game," said Kane. "(But) you know it was just a camp scrimmage, so its tough to kind of see what happens unless you play an actual NHL game." Kane would no doubt like to see himself on a line that can rival the Wheeler, Little and Ladd trio. "I wouldnt say anxious, Im probably more on the excited part and hopeful we can find some chemistry and we can get things clicking early on," he said. "Two points in October is just as important as two points in April and thats kind of the mentality we have going into this season." Setoguchi said its way too early to predict where he might fit into the Winnipeg lineup. At 26, he has played 384 NHL games over four seasons with the San Jose Sharks and two with the Minnesota Wild. His best campaign was with San Jose in 2008-09, when he scored 31 goals and added 34 assists in 81 games. "I thought today was kind of a feeler day," he said. "The coaches they just wanted us to go out there and put in the work, kind of go through the systems a little bit and get used to it." Noel cant predict what will happen yet but he knows where he wants to be when camp ends. "Youd like to come out of training camp knowing the structure of your group, what youve got," he said. "Your two offensive lines, potentially your third, with some players possibly being able to play up ... "You want to be a position where you know what your special teams are going to be, whos killing penalties, whos on the power play ... You know that these things are subject to change with a lot of factors." 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