Ryan Callahan #24 of the Tampa Bay Lightning challenges P.K. Subban #76 of the Montreal Canadiens in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 1, 2015 in Montreal.Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
Never mind this business about serving it cold, revenge is a dish best dispensed in the playoffs.
Since losing to the Montreal Canadiens in four straight in last year's post-season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have made a point of not just beating the Habs, but dominating them.
They out-scored Montreal 21-8 in sweeping the five-game regular season series, and while they weren't as goal-happy in game one of the second-round series between the teams, they can now add another boast: having taken a playoff game in a building Montreal coach Michel Therrien plausibly argues is among the most intimidating in sport.
Tampa's Nikita Kucherov scored at 2:06 of the second overtime – rifling a wrist shot into the top corner after teammate Valtteri Filppula stole the puck from rookie Montreal defenceman Greg Pateryn along the boards – to give his club an invigorating 2-1 win.
It didn't come easy.
The Lightning overcame a shocking mistake from goaltender Ben Bishop in the third period – he gifted a tying goal to Max Pacioretty by flubbing a straightforward glove save. He later atoned by stoning Brendan Gallagher and David Desharnais in overtime – the latter with his forehead.
The Lightning bench was in a lather three minutes into the extra frame when Kucherov appeared to score on a breakaway, but the marker was waved off on the basis he pushed Carey Price's pad into the net with his stick.
Earlier in the day, Tampa coach Jon Cooper had quipped about being "back to the scene of the crime" – a rink where his club was denied a vital goal in last year's playoffs by a goaltender interference call.
Pundits keep saying the NHL is a big man's game, where teams have to be heavy to enjoy success.
So how come wee little Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Kucherov are so good at it?
On a team that features 50-goal scorer Steven Stamkos, it's Johnson who has emerged as the most lethal scoring threat of the playoffs along with his small, speedy linemates.
His opener in the third period means he has scored seven of his club's 20 goals in these playoffs (two of which were shot into an empty net).
Late into the third period, it was looking as if Bishop and Carey Price, who both entered the game having pitched a shutout in their last outings, would be involved in a race to one.
This series, if it follows Friday's template, could well usher in the era of the No-goal Hockey League. The teams combined for 79 shots and just three goals (a save percentage of .962).
When goalies of Price and Bishop's ilk are involved, saves will be made.
There will also be a few bounces, and Tampa got the early ones.
Montreal started the game as if they'd been reading the press clipping suggesting Tampa will win this series handily.
Desharnais fired a no-look shot that Bishop could only wave at weakly with his glove; it hit the cross-bar.
A short time later Pacioretty golfed a shot from a net-front scramble that also pinged off the post, Tampa defenceman Matt Carle slid in to block Gallagher's attempt to slot home the rebound.
The net effect was to unsettle Bishop, whose teammates appeared to mimic his nervy play. The Habs thought they'd scored on a power-play midway through the period, but Bishop managed to unwitting keep the puck from going all the way over the goal line.
At the other end, Price was called upon to make a couple of stops – notably on Ryan Callahan's tip and on Boyle – but was essentially comfortable.
The same can't be said for Tampa captain Steven Stamkos, who appeared to jam his wrist on a collision with Price behind the net. He carried on.
The teams went into the first intermission deadlocked, only one side could have claimed to feel hard done by.
In the second, the Habs once again came out with purpose, Pacioretty set up the ice two-on-one with Jeff Petry (who had to be helped off the ice in the first after blocking a shot).
Now, Bishop has looked vulnerable at times in the eight games he's started in this post-season, but on this occasion one could imagine him sneering as he gloved Pacioretty's hot slap-shot.
It wouldn't be his best save of the period.
He made a nice stop when Pacioretty stormed past Anton Stralman and Nikita Kucherov with the Habs short-handed, sticking out a leg to stop his backhand.
Price can also play a little, and his aggressive positioning helped him recover when the puck bounced onto Tampa defenceman Andrej Sustr's stick as he stood by himself in the high slot. The puck nestled under Price's right arm.
Tampa was beginning to assert itself again when Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec – who are deadly while killing penalties – broke in on a short-handed two-on-one.
As Plekanec tried to one-time the puck home – but Bishop pulled off a remarkable glove save and threw in a little two-pad stack for nostalgia's sake.
Plekanec could only look skyward.
One gets the feeling this is not a series where the goals will flow freely.