The Tampa Bay Lightning battled back from one goal deficits twice against the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five of their first round series. Unfortunately, they couldn’t answer Alexandre Texier’s early third-period goal as Jakub Dobes made 17 of his 38 saves in the final frame to preserve a 3-2 Montreal win. The series heads back to Montreal with the Lightning facing elimination on Friday.
The too-long-didn’t-read version of the game is that Montreal scored all of the big momentum goals. Th...
First period
They wanted to have towels for the fans to make Benchmark International Arena like the Bell Centre. You can hear a pin drop moments after the opening puck drop.
Well, that’s exactly what Martin St-Louis was hoping for when he inserted Brendan Gallagher into the lineup: charge at the net and clean up a rebound. It’s Newhook’s rebound after he got onto his own wide shot, leaving an empty cage for the veteran to hit.
Montreal had as many high-danger chan...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs
Game 5: Montreal Canadiens (A3) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)
Series tied 2-2
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: ESPN2 In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: Sportsnet+
The first personnel change has been made by Martin St-Louis in the series. The move is to give Brendan Gallagher his first playoff game of the season at the expense of Oliv...
Game Five: Montreal Canadiens (2-2) at Tampa Bay Lightning (2-2)
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, ESPN2, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -160
Know the Opponents: Habs Eye on the Prize
Prior to this series starting one of the things that perplexed us here at Raw Charge Worldwide Incorporated was the overwhelming notion by some, either national media or on social media, that the Lightning ...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs
Game 5: Montreal Canadiens (A3) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)
Series tied 2-2
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: ESPN2 In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Through the first three games of the series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Habs had held their opponent to eight high-danger chances at ...
In the NHL playoffs Tuesday night, the two trailing teams won to extend their series, while Minnesota broke the 2-2 tie to pull ahead of Dallas, 3-2. But before that, a bit of Islanders fodder… Islanders News NHL Playoffs Tonight, someone will take a 3-2 lead in the Lightning-Canadiens series, while the Penguins will look […]
With the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning deadlocked at two wins apiece after four games, the series has become the talk of NHL circles as not just the most entertaining and fiery series of the first round, but possibly the most even series in recent memory.
The teams boasted 106 points each in the regular season, though if you looked under the hood you would see a sizable gap in the ability to consistently control play, favouring Tampa Bay. Yet the series has reflected much clo...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Martin St-Louis must contemplate changes to spark the top six. [ Sportsnet ]
The Habs focus on flipping the script for Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. [ Montreal Gazette ]
Can the Canadiens’ youthful skill overcome the Lightning’s experience in a best-of-three? [ Montreal Gazette ]
Montreal must control their emotions, even in the face of a storm. [ RDS ]
Jakub Dobeš maximizes his strengths through fearless aggression. [ The ...
Nothing about this series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning has been easy on anyone involved. The intensity has made it an absolute grind for the players, and I think I can speak on behalf of most fans when I say that these games have had me chewing my nails down to the quick. It just might be the best first-round series in the league, and it shouldn’t come as much surprise that it has turned into a best-of-three, with both teams now having taken a game in the other’s barn...
The Montreal Canadiens have never been accused of being a boring franchise. This series is a look back at the moments that made you throw your hands up, lose your mind, ugly cry, hold your breath, scratch your head, and cheer so loudly you scared the dog … sometimes all at once. If you were there the first time around, you know. If you weren’t, hop in the DeLorean cause we’re going back in time.
The 2021 Playoff Run That Was
Every spring, some guy with a podcast and a grudge rolls ou...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
How did Zachary Bolduc improve to his current level as one of the Canadiens best post-season performers? “More anticipation and fewer moments of hesitation,” Martin St-Louis believes. [ TVA Sports ]
“We’ll have to learn from this,” Bolduc said after discipline issues once again hurt the team. [ La Presse ]
Noah Dobson will be re-evaluated ahead of Game 5. [ TVA Sports ]
The Toronto Marlies beat the Rochester Americans in the AHL playoffs,...
Following their 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the Tampa Bay Lightning were a little more relaxed in their post-game interviews. Coach Jon Cooper in particular was in a good mood, especially when talking about the penalties and his reactions.
Jon Cooper
On Max Crozier – “He has that in his game. That’s why Cro is in the league. Not necessarily all those hits, but he has that in the game. He’s a big-time gamer.”
On shuffling the lines – “We’re getting mass pro...
Two things happened on Sunday night that hadn’t happened in the series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. In a series that was tied for 71% of the time through the first three games, and within a goal the other 29%, a team finally built a multi-goal lead as the Canadiens were up 2-0 in the second period. Second, it ended in regulation as Brandon Hagel’s second goal of the third period gave the Lightning the lead that they would hold on to despite a late 6-on-4 power play f...
First period
A bruising shift from Phillip Danault’s line starts things off.
The Lightning almost get handed the first goal when Mike Matheson is stripped of the puck as he tries to cut through the front of his own net. Jakub Dobeš has to make a toe save on a point-blank chance.
The Habs are having trouble staying out of their own way in the series, just taking a too many men penalty to give the Lightning a power play.
The penalty is killed, and the crowd is loud once aga...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs
Game 4: Montreal Canadiens (A3) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)
MTL leads 2-1
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: ESPN In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
For a few minutes in the second period of Game 3, it looked like the Tampa Bay Lightning had come up with an answer to the Canadiens’ solid play when teams are d...
The Montreal Canadiens will take a 2-1 lead into their series with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night. And now they also have an edge in the 'injured top line defensemen' department as well. While Victor Hedman remains "doubtful" to play the rest of this series for Tampa, Noah Dobson, who has been out since April 11th , has now resumed skating , we have learned. Noah Dobson could be ahead of his return timeline Two weeks ago, when he went down, the team said ...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs
Game 4: Montreal Canadiens (A3) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)
MTL leads 2-1
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: ESPN In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
The Bell Centre was as loud as expected for Game 3. Unlike last year when the Montreal Canadiens returned to play their first game down 2-0 to the Washington Capitals...
With the Montreal Canadiens taking a 2-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning on the back of some incredible work by Lane Hutson, the plaudits are fairly directed at the Habs’ top defensive star. However, through three games it’s a surprising name who continues to tilt the ice in a big way, even in limited minutes.
Arber Xhekaj entered this series as a third-pairing defenceman, a role he’s mostly occupied this season, with its fair share of turbulent times that saw him out of the line...
There really are no bad shots in overtime. Just over two minutes into the third straight overtime game between Tampa Bay and Montreal, Lane Hutson proved that as he wound up and unleashed a shot through a forest of players that somehow eluded every stick, elbow, skate, shin pad, and blocker before finding the back of the net to give the home team the 3-2 victory.
It was another tight game between the two teams that saw waves of momentum come and go for both sides. Montreal opened the scor...
The building is loud, as it always is. It’s playoff hockey in Montreal.
First period
The Canadiens look sharp to start, using their speed to close down all attempted Lightning rushes in the neutral zone.
Zachary Bolduc gains the zone by getting the puck to Kirby Dach, who saucers it back to him. Bolduc makes a quick turn back to the slot to find a trailing Alexandre Texier, and the Frenchman makes it 1-0 for the home side.
Dach to Bolduc to Texier and it's 1-0 Habs! [...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs
Game 3: Montreal Canadiens (A3) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)
Series tied 1-1
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French) In the United States: TNT, truTV In the Lightning region: The Spot Streaming: HBO Max, Sportsnet+
The Montreal Canadiens players have already gotten over the disappointment of losing Game 2. That feeling has been replaced by the excitement of playin...
We have all heard the raucous chants from the fervent fans of the Montreal Canadiens, whether at the Bell Centre, or at an away game. “Go Habs, Go!” Most of us likely participated in its propagation, bellowing the battle cry of our favourite National Hockey League team, even from the relative seclusion of our homes. It echoes throughout the arena, in unison at home games, in defiance at away games. Its presence strengthens the resolve of the players and drives panic and confusion into their op...
Game Three: Tampa Bay Lightning (1-1) at Montreal Canadiens (1-1)
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Centre Bell, Montreal, Canada
TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, TNT, HBOMax, truTV, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -122
Know the Opponents: Habs Eyes on the Prize
There are just certain sports venues that have a little extra energy to them. Notre Dame on a cool October Saturday, Yankee Stadium on a cool October night, Lambeau on a frigid January Sunday. Add Centr...
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
From Wisconsin to Montreal, by Cole Caufield. [ The Players’ Tribune ]
“I think we expect more from ourselves,” says the Habs’ leading goal-scorer. [ Montreal Gazette ]
How the Habs and Tampa Bay Lightning are handling the absences of key defencemen. [ Sportsnet ]
The Canadiens are rallying around Kirby Dach ahead of Game 3. [ NHL.com ]
David Savard also weighs in to defend the Habs forward. [ La Presse ]
Inside Bryce Pickford’s...
With two games in the books the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens shift their series north to the Paris of North America. Lightning fans thought all was lost after a Game One overtime loss. J.J. Moser provided a dopamine rush with his OT winner in Game Two. With Montreal claiming home advantage for at least the next two games the only thing we know is that this series is coming back to Tampa for at least one more game.
It has been, to say the least, an interesting series. At time...