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 That feeling has been replaced by the excitement of playing in front of the home fans for the first playoff game at the Bell Centre in 2026. It’s been a close series so far with two overtime decisions to begin, and that energy could be what gives them the edge tonight.
The question of whether the Lightning found something with their constant pressure in Montreal’s zone to end Game 2 should be answered in the opening minutes if the Habs are able to execute their plays through the forecheck. The team was completely stymied in the extra frame on Tuesday, but had been finding success up to that point. A couple of days for everyone to settle down and go over their tactics should help them play more composed this time around.
It’s a big game, as one team will be halfway to the finish line after tonight. The Canadiens could really put themselves in the driver’s seat with a win that gets the home crowd buzzing. Expect a fast start, and ideally some contributors outside of the duo of Juraj Slafkovský and Josh Anderson that has produced the majority of the offence so far.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| #13 Cole Caufield | #14 Nick Suzuki | #20 Juraj Slafkovský |
| #71 Jake Evans | #24 Phillip Danault | #17 Josh Anderson |
| #15 Alex Newhook | #91 Oliver Kapanen | #93 Ivan Demidov |
| #85 Alexandre Texier | #77 Kirby Dach | #76 Zachary Bolduc |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| #21 Kaiden Guhle | #48 Lane Hutson |
| #8 Mike Matheson | #45 Alexandre Carrier |
| #47 Jayden Struble | #72 Arber Xhekaj |
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| #75 Jakub Dobeš | #32 Jacob Fowler |
Injured: Noah Dobson
Scratched: Adam Engström, Brendan Gallagher, Patrik Laine, Samuel Montembeault, David Reinbacher, Joe Veleno
Tampa Bay Lightning projected lineup
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| #93 Gage Goncalves | #21 Brayden Point | #86 Nikita Kucherov |
| #38 Brandon Hagel | #71 Anthony Cirelli | #59 Jake Guentzel |
| #28 Zemgus Girgensons | #37 Yanni Gourde | #20 Nick Paul |
| #10 Corey Perry | #17 Dominic James | #46 Scott Sabourin |
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| #90 J.J. Moser | #43 Darren Raddysh |
| #27 Ryan McDonagh | #81 Erik Cernak |
| #67 Declan Carlile | #78 Emil Lilleberg |
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| #88 Andrei Vasilevskiy | #31 Jonas Johansson |
Injured: Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Victor Hedman, Pontus Holmberg
Scratched: Oliver Bjorkstrand, Max Crozier, Conor Geekie, Brandon Halverson
