2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs
Game 7: Montreal Canadiens (A3) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)
Series tied 3-3
Start time: **6:00 PM EDT / 3:00 PM PDT**
In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the United States: TNT, truTV
In the Lightning region: The Spot
Streaming: Sportsnet+
The official stats say that the Tampa Bay Lightning had a 38-26 advantage in scoring chances at five-on-five and a 22-7 edge in high-danger chances in Game 6, but I don’t think anyone who watched the game believes that Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn’t the best player on the ice. He stopped all 30 shots he faced, and about half of them came from either point-blank chances from the edges of the crease or on the numerous two-on-ones the Canadiens had. It was the most open game of the series, and the Habs were taking advantage of their speed to get dangerous looks, but just couldn’t get any of them to go.
Every forward was getting in on the action for Montreal, including Cole Caufield and Ivan Demidov who were using the extra space granted to have their best even-strength outing of the post-season. Caufield doubled his five-on-five shot attempts in the series with seven, including one that went off the post, while Demidov decided he was going to take the game into his own hands and go one versus the full Lightning team on several occasions, turning that into a couple of chances and a power move to the net on which he was hooked at the last second — and got a penalty for being thrown off balance and running into Vasilevskiy on the play. A repeat of that effort from the wingers probably won’t keep them both of the scoresheet again, so they’ll need to approach tonight’s game with that same intensity.
Montreal earned itself two chances to seal the series with the win in Game 5. It was their second win in Tampa in three tries, whereas they only won once in their three matches at the Bell Centre. One of the biggest reasons for teams to chase home-ice advantage for the playoffs is to get to play Game 7 at home, but for the Canadiens, who were a better road team than a home team through the regular season and now into the playoffs, it might be a good thing that tonight’s showdown for a spot in Round 2 will take place in enemy territory.
Tale of the Tape
| Canadiens | Statistics | Lightning |
|---|---|---|
| 48.6% | Expected-goal share | 51.4% |
| 2.33 | Goals per game | 2.33 |
| 2.33 | Goals against per game | 2.33 |
| 20.8% | PP% | 15.4% |
| 84.6% | PK% | 79.2% |
| Juraj Slafkovský (3) | Most goals | Brandon Hagel (6) |
| Nick Suzuki (5) | Most assists | Jake Guentzel (6) |
| Lane Hutson (5) | Most points | Jake Guentzel (8) |
It was reported that Noah Dobson was an option to play in Game 6, but with the Canadiens setting themselves up with a chance to win the series without him, he wasn’t inserted back in. Now, after a loss and with a game under the brightest lights, their big off-season acquisition will likely be in the lineup.
Even as a player who averaged 22:29 in the regular season, it might be a bit tough for him to step into the series at its final stage. The other players have grown into the series, getting familiar with those on the other side of the matchups for 100 shifts or so. Dobson will be going into that battle needing to hit the ground running, expected to shut down the top stars in his first playoff action in two years.
He will also have the benefit of being the freshest player on the ice, however, and we say what that did for Brendan Gallagher the last time a game was played at Benchmark International Arena. That might just be the difference in some of the races to loose pucks, closing down on rush opportunities, or moving the puck out of the zone.
It will be good to have the second-most-productive defenceman on the team from the regular season in the lineup, even if his thumb injury prevents him from blasting the puck as hard as normally would. The player who ranked sixth in assists on the Habs would be a welcome addition as they look to find the offence that Vasilevskiy stole away in Game 6.
