Latest news and updates about the Lightning
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 ...
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has officially been selected as a finalist for the 2026 Ted Lindsay Award. The award is presented annually to the player who is deemed “most outstanding” as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players’ Association. San Jose Sharks sophomore Macklin Celebrini and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov were…
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...
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...
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...
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...
In sudden-death overtime, you’re only a shot away from winning the game, but only if you actually take it. In overtime on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens did not record a single shot on goal. Even in their Game 6 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021, when they were outshot 13-1 before Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s game-winner, they had more shots than they did in the 12:48 of extra hockey in Game 2 of their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. There is no denying that Kirby Dach ...
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue all week long after an excellent start over the weekend. The playoffs have already delivered some chaos: the Buffalo Sabres stormed back late to stun the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens won Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime thanks to a hat trick from Juraj Slafkovsky, and the Minnesota Wild crushed the Dallas Stars early just to remind everyone brackets aren’t set in stone. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights ...
For the second time in as many games in this series, the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves in overtime on Tuesday night. In a reversal of the last game’s script, it was Tampa who took the lead in the first period, surrendered it to two consecutive goals by the Habs, then tied it in the third to send the game to extra time. Unfortunately for Montreal, the reversal of the script held true there as well, and a goal from J.J. Moser won it for the Lightning, splitting the ...
For a first career NHL playoff goal, an overtime game-winner isn’t a bad one to hang on the mantle. J.J. Moser exorcised the Tampa Bay Lightning’s overtime demons as he snapped a wrist shot past Jakob Dobes at the 12:48 mark of overtime to give the Lightning the 3-2 win. The series heads to Montreal all tied at one game a piece. After their 4-3 OT loss in Game One, Coach Jon Cooper made a few line-up changes. Declan stepped in for the injured Charle-Edouard D’Astous while Scott Sabourin r...
The same woman who did the Canadian anthem is back for Game 2. Another loss is due. First period The top lines hems the Lightning in for a full minute to open the game. They were even able to make a change on the fly despite the bench being on the other half of the ice. Scott Sabourin comes on the ice the first time Josh Anderson comes out. Sabourin gets in Anderson’s face. Anderson laughs. Alex Newhook catches the Lightning with too many forwards pressing for offence, ...
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs Game 2: Montreal Canadiens (A3) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) MTL leads series 1-0 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+ Charle-Edouard D’Astous is unable to play today after his head contacted Jake Evans’s on a hard hit from Josh Anderson in Game 1. In his place comes Declan...
In what could be series-defining news, the Tampa Bay Lightning will likely be without top defenseman Victor Hedman for their entire first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens. Tuesday morning, head coach Jon Cooper called Hedman "doubtful" for the rest of the series. Jon Cooper says Hedman returning is on “the doubtful side for this series.” https://t.co/nVSdnM1fNl — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 21, 2026 “I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Cooper said, “but I’d say I’d put ...
Game Two: Montreal Canadiens (1-0) at Tampa Bay Lightning (0-1) Time: 7:00 PM EST Location: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Florida TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, ESPN2, 102.5 FM, Lightning App Odds: Lightning -192 Know the Opponents: Habs Eyes on the Prize “We know we have better in us.” If you’ve been around the Tampa Bay Lightning long enough then you’ve heard the phrase before. Much like you’ve heard “Process over Outcome” “Turn the Page” and several other p...