The Montreal Canadiens must learn from their overtime no-show 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 could have played both the dump-in that caused the icing and the coverage that led to the game-winning goal better. It may cost him his spot in the lineup. That doesn’t change the fact that the Canadiens were lucky just to be still playing up to that point. I’m not sure if the Canadiens were actually playing scared in overtime, or not to lose, but they sure looked like it. Sure, to win the game you need to not allow a goal, but you also need to try to attack to get a goal. Some urgency is required. The good news is that the no-show in overtime doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. This series was never going to be a sweep. It’s a very competitive series, and both teams had their chances to be up 2-0. It is 1-1, and the Canadiens have a chance to take control of the series on home ice. The team (and some fans) need to not dwell on the fact that they lost a potential 2-0 lead, to focus on what they have in front of them. Losses in the postseason are pretty much inevitable, it’s how you respond to them that matters. The Canadiens have been pretty good all year at avoiding stacking losses together. On Friday, when they take to the ice at what is surely going to be a wild Bell Centre for Game 3, they need to get back to being the aggressor. Not necessarily physically (they did a good job at responding to that challenge) but during play. They did that so well for so much of the first two games, only to see it slip away late. This is still anybody’s series. The Canadiens have to play like it is theirs.

The Montreal Canadiens must learn from their overtime no-show

Juraj Slafkovský picked one hell of a time to level up As the Montreal Canadiens land in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year, now’s the perfect time to shine the light on the rise of Juraj Slafkovský. But first let’s rewind to Milano Cortina for a sec. Slafkovský didn’t just show up to play at the 2026 Winter Olympics, he made it crystal clear that this was his stage. While Montreal sat idle for a few weeks, Slaf put the hockey world on notice, piling up four goals, leading the team with eight points across six games, and carrying Slovakia all the way to a fourth-place finish. Not too shabby for a 22-year-old who was “still developing.” During the Olympics, on an episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman summed it up quite vividly: “If you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan, your nipples have to be erect, seeing how well Juraj Slafkovský is doing at the Olympics.” The comparisons started rolling in too. Two-time Stanley Cup champ and hockey legend Jaromir Jagr said he sees a lot of his younger self in Slafkovský. A physical force who made everyone around him better as the moment got bigger? We’ll take that compliment all day long, thank you. Already dominant for the Canadiens this season, Slafkovský put up 30 goals and 73 points, along with power-play production that sent opposing penalty kills in full panic mode while he led the team in man-advantage goals. That growth traces back to coach Martin St-Louis moving the winger off the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, a deliberate push to see if he could drive a line instead of riding shotgun. Instead of trying to fit in, he put the pedal to the metal, anchoring the second line alongside rookies Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. Then the playoffs started, and Slafkovský made sure everyone knew that he and his team were up for the challenge, and that Kent Hughes was “wright” to draft him first overall (are we still making that joke?) in 2022. In Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he scored three times — all on the power play — completing his hat trick in overtime to give Montreal a 4-3 victory to take a lead of the series. He scored all but one Canadiens goal, the first scored by the other playoff beast, Josh Anderson, who opened the scoring midway through the first period. Slafkovský became the first Canadiens player since 1933-34 with three power-play goals in a playoff game and the third-youngest Hab ever to score a playoff hat trick. Just casual history-making on a Sunday night in Tampa. Anderson called Slafkovský “one of the best power forwards in the game” after the win. “He’s still so young. It’s going to be scary in a couple of years.” Slaf himself drew a straight line from Milano to Tampa. “The Olympics are kind of like a playoff series,” he said. “I for sure got my confidence. I’m trying to bring that in here and try to help the team win games.” So far so good, we say. Then came Game 2, where Slaf did something we don’t often see from him: he dropped the gloves. Brandon Hagel was sniffing around for trouble like he had nothing better to do and Slafkovský picked up what he was putting down. Fighting isn’t really Slaf’s style, but apparently neither is backing down. While Slafkovský may not have found the back of the net this time, we’ve seen that when the stage gets bigger, his game rises with it. He did it in Beijing in 2022, he did it in Milan, and now he’s doing it again in this playoff run with the Canadiens. Coach Martin St-Louis put it simply after Game 1: “The evolution of Slaf is almost the same as the evolution of our team. He played to his identity. Not just the goals — he was physical, he won battles.” The fire is lit, and right now it looks like it’s only getting hotter. 

Juraj Slafkovský picked one hell of a time to level up

Thursday Habs Headlines: Game 2 lessons will shape Game 3 lineup Montreal Canadiens news and notes * What adjustments should the Canadiens make ahead of Game 3? [TSN 690] * Potential lineup changes and player swaps for Game 3. [Montreal Gazette] * Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský haven’t shown what they can do five-on-five during this series… yet. [Sportsnet] * Phillip Danault answers fan questions. [Canadiens] * Martin St. Louis defends Kirby Dach’s Game 2 overtime blunder that led to Tampa tying the series. [Journal de Montreal] * Are officials tougher on Arber Xhekaj than other players? [TVA Sports] * Has the momentum in the series shifted to the Lightning after costly mistakes made by Slafkovský and Kirby Dach in Game 2? [Montreal Gazette] * St. Louis and Suzuki say the late collapse was due to fatigue and lacking calm. [TSN] * KFC Canada brings original Montreal Canadiens Forum seats into restaurants for the playoffs. [Newswire] Around the league and elsewhere * The debut of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Salt Lake City has the state buzzing with anticipation. [TSN] * Early impressions of the Eastern Conference in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [Sportsnet] * Ray Ferraro looks back at the New York Islanders’ last playoff series win in 1993. [NHL] * L.A Kings coach was showered by glass after an Avalanche Colorado fan shattered the pane behind the bench. [TSN] * Top goalie expert says Connor Ingram can back the Edmonton Oilers to a Stanley Cup. [Edmonton Journal] * Feisty Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel is “willing to do anything to win, regardless of the task.” [TSN] * How Ottawa Charge players Alexa Vasko and Rory Guilday see body checking in women’s hockey evolving. [Ottawa Citizen]

Thursday Habs Headlines: Game 2 lessons will shape Game 3 lineup

Montreal Needs to Completely Rethink Their Lines | Tampa Bay Is Exposing Them | PuckTalk MTL . 🚨🥅🚨 Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/pucktalkmtl #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Montreal Needs to Completely Rethink Their Lines | Tampa Bay Is Exposing Them | PuckTalk MTL

Bottom Six Minutes: The Habs lost a battle, but proved that this is a war 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 first two games in Tampa before the series shifts to La Belle Province. I would have loved a win for the first video edition of the podcast, but sometimes the hockey gods just don’t smile on you every day. It would take a serious dose of pessimism to call that game a complete failure, even if they were that close to getting a 2-0 series lead and came up just short. For three periods, it was a very tightly contested game in which the Habs were creating more scoring opportunities than their hosts. It was like two elite heavyweights going blow for blow, and one could argue that the Habs were ahead on the scorecard going into that final round. Thing is, that final round in this game was an overtime period where you just need one good shot, and they didn’t seem ready for that period in the slightest. It was undeniably disappointing for them to fall as flat as they did in overtime, but there’s no denying that they’ve accomplished some things through their two games in Tampa. First, they’ve made it abundantly clear to the Lightning that they’re not going to be pushed around in this series. Physicality was considered by many as a potential weakness, and yet they’ve been the aggressors more often than not. They came in as underdogs, with many questions about whether this young lineup could withstand the intensity of the playoffs, and they’ve put Tampa on notice that this is much more of a fight than they perhaps expected. Tampa won that battle, but they know without a doubt that their opponent is ready and willing to go the distance in the war. Second, they proved that they can win in Tampa’s barn. Last year, winning a game in Washington was nigh impossible for them, overtime or otherwise. Coming into this series, once again as the underdogs and without home-ice advantage, they needed to prove they could win on the road in the playoffs. Now, they’ve erased that advantage. There are potentially five games remaining in this series, and three of them would be at the Bell Centre. If they simply refuse to let Tampa win a game in what promises to be one of the rowdiest playoff atmospheres we’ve ever seen, they’ve put themselves in a position for that to win them the series. Lastly, their depth seems more robust than that of Tampa’s at this juncture. Josh Anderson has been an absolute Demon. With him, Phillip Danault and Jake Evans round out a line that seems incredibly problematic for the Lightning to deal with. Almost all of Tampa’s scoring has come from their usual suspects, while the Habs have been getting a little more kick from their bottom six. In a long series, and one where they’re about to have better matchup control for two games, you have to wonder how that depth might factor in favourably for Montreal. So yes, they lost the battle, but they’ve conclusively proven that this is more of a war than most were expecting, and they’re ready to fight until the end. If you’d rather not look at my face for 20-plus minutes in the video above, click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Friday night, when the series shifts to the Bell Centre for game three.

Bottom Six Minutes: The Habs lost a battle, but proved that this is a war

Wednesday Habs Headlines: Youth and desire Montreal Canadiens news and notes * “That playoff atmosphere and feeling is so addicting,” Kaiden Guhle says. “You want to feel that every year.” [Montreal Gazette] * Josh Anderson is built for the playoffs. [Montreal Gazette | La Presse] * Anderson’s heavy style is also rubbing off on Juraj Slafkovsky. [RDS] * Alex Carrier and Arber Xhekaj are stepping up. [Sportsnet] * The Habs aren’t bland anymore. [La Presse] * Inside a Quebec church in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the pews are filling up, but not for mass, for the Montreal Canadiens. [City News] * Victor Hedman is reportedly ‘doubtful’ to play in the first-round series vs. the Canadiens. [Sportsnet] Around the league and elsewhere * NHL 2025-26 awards predictions for the Hart, Norris, Jack Adams, and more. [The Athletic] * What went wrong with the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent? [The Athletic] * How Mike Gillis and Mats Sundin would change the Toronto Maple Leafs’ culture and decision-making. [Sportsnet] * He was traded twice and has played with 9 potential Hall of Famers — all this season. Brett Kulak. [The Athletic] * Ilya Kovalchuk takes over as the president of the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons. [Sportsnet] * The Vancouver Canucks have requested permission to interview Kevyn Adams for their vacant GM position. [The Athletic] * Melbar Entertainment Group has announced the production of “Frozen in Time: The Bill Barilko Story,” a documentary about his life and mysterious disappearance. [Sportsnet] * How the Colorado Avalanche’s ‘Lumber Yard’ goalie tandem was built. [ESPN] * There are no plans for the NHL to change its regular-season points system, says Gary Bettman. [Daily Faceoff] * Bettman also says that future NHL expansion will cost substantially more than $1 billion. [Daily Faceoff] * How the PWHL is trying to discourage teams from tanking. [CBC] * The prospects to watch at the U18 hockey championship. [Sportsnet]

Wednesday Habs Headlines: Youth and desire

Out of Gas in OT! Canadiens Collapse Late After Lightning Drag Them Into a War | PuckTalk Post-Game The Montreal Canadiens ran out of gas in overtime as the Tampa Bay Lightning dragged this game into a physical, exhausting war. In this PuckTalk Post-Game, Coach K breaks down the late Canadiens collapse, the fatigue that set in, the puck management issues that showed up under pressure, and how Tampa Bay took control when the game got heavy. If you are a Montreal Canadiens fan, Lightning fan, NHL fan, or Stanley Cup Playoffs fan, this episode covers the key turning points, biggest mistakes, and what this loss means moving forward. Get full Habs analysis, Canadiens vs Lightning recap, playoff intensity breakdown, and reaction right here on PuckTalk MTL. 🚨🥅🚨 Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/pucktalkmtl #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Out of Gas in OT! Canadiens Collapse Late After Lightning Drag Them Into a War | PuckTalk Post-Game

Canadiens @ Lightning Top Six Minutes: A shockingly poor overtime evens the series * 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, and Lane Hutson jumps up to take half the zone to himself. Newhook finds him, but Hutson’s shot is stopped. * Newhook takes another pass and gets in close to net, but chooses to send a pass to a tied-up Alexandre Texier instead of taking the 12-foot shot. They can’t pass those up. * Anderson gets a chance on a dump-in pass he races onto. Again Vasilevskiy makes the save, his fourth of the opening four minutes. * Zachary Bolduc backchecks and steals the puck away from the Lightning just as they think they’re actually going to have a dangerous rush. * Sabourin launches himself at Phillip Danault in the neutral zone. Jon Cooper’s goon is doing exactly what the coach wanted him to to. * Tampa Bay finally gets a shot with 8:40 played. Kaiden Guhle’s stick broke, and it was his man, Brandon Hagel, who took the shot. It’s a goal, the third one that directly resulted from a Montreal broken stick in this series. * Arber Xhekaj unnecessarily jumps into a scrum below the goal line and will go to the box for it. A power play for Tampa Bay that you know Martin St-Louis isn’t going to be happy about. * Jake Evans goes in a short-handed rush with Newhook. As the puck is played back out front, Evans is about to tuck the puck around Andrei Vasilevskiy, but gets knocked down before he can complete his move. * Another Montreal penalty is on the way. Mike Matheson was battling with his man below the goal line and got his stick high. As the Lightning try to set something up at six-on-five, Nikita Kucherov interferes with Kirby Dach at the blue line and negates his team’s penalty. Hagel sees the opportunity to go after Anderson with six skaters on the ice to Montreal’s five, and fists and elbows are flying behind Dobeš’s net. The end result is a power play for the Canadiens. * The Lightning put all four penalty-killers on Slafkovský in the slot, and that leaves Hutson open at the top of the zone to fire a shot off Erik Cernak’s knee to tie the game, a fourth power-play goal for Montreal. * Kucherov hits Anderson right in the numbers about three seconds after Anderson played the puck. No penalty. * The refs have no choice but to call the next penalty. It’s Nick Paul with a cross-check to Bolduc’s back. * The period expires, and the Lightning jump the closest Hab to them. Yanni Gourde blasts Bolduc after the whistle, and there will be another Montreal power play to start the second period. Is this Cooper’s master plan? Second period * After the ref very clearly announced that Montreal would begin the second period on the power play, Xhekaj is also in the box for two minutes. “Abuse of officials” is the call. * The four-on-four ends with a 14th shot for Montreal, to Tampa Bay’s seven. * Hagel and Slafkovský drop their gloves as the top two goal-scorers in the series go at it. Hagel lands the biggest blow, but Slafkovský pops back up to give one final shot. * Back on the ice, Xhekaj tosses Gourde to the ice behind Montreal’s net. * Phillip Danault jumps on a rebound off Vasilevskiy, but pounds the puck off the end boards. * Kucherov faking a slapshot at a linesman after an offside call is probably more abusive than whatever Xhekaj did. * Kucherov dives for a puck and Guhle’s stick comes in while he’s in mid-air. Guhle is called for hooking. * Darren Raddysh falls to the ice as Danault gives his a push Danault lays his stick on the back of Raddysh again to show the ref how light the contact was, and Raddysh crumples again. * Dobeš is flexing his knee after making a save. * The Lightning are really cheating now trying for stretch passes. * They’re not doing so much post-whistle stuff, though. That plan wasn’t working. * Montreal’s fourth line goes to work deep in the offensive zone, and it’s Anderson capitalizes. No one can stay with him and he slides across the top of the crease, and sends the puck under Vasilevskiy’s arm to give Montreal a late lead. * The top line comes out after the goal and comes close to converting a four-way passing play. Ryan McDonagh goes over to Caufield and shoves his head into the glass with both hands. Montreal, which has been running circles around the Lightning for about 10 minutes, goes to a five-on-four. * There will be 1:20 left on the power play for Montreal to begin the final period. Second intermission * Will there be a group of people getting together to give Montreal a penalty to begin the third? Third period * The Lightning don’t like the way Montreal is getting set up in the zone with Caufield in the bumper spot, so Emil Lilleberg just knocks the net off. No penalty. * Hey, the Canadiens survived Danault having a broken stick in the defensive zone. * Corey Perry definitely heard the whistle go for offside considering how quiet the arena is right now, but continues on to skate through Dobeš’s crease, earning a shove from the netminder. * J.J. Moser catches the Canadiens playing too deep in their coverage, but his shot from the hashmarks goes off Guhle and then the post. * Ivan Demidov is called for tripping, and the Lightning will get a third power play of the game. * The penalty kill holds its structure and fairly easily kills the minor. * Ten minutes to go. * The Canadiens were in control, but Slafkovský turned and made a blind pass trying to get the puck out of his zone. It’s turned over, and the Lightning are brought back into the game on a Kucherov wraparound goal. * You just can’t make that play in that situation, but if there’s a player capable of making up for an error, it’s the man with a hat trick in this series. * The shots have been evened up as the Canadiens have been playing pretty passively since the goal was surrendered. Not overly dangerous shots from the Lightning, but they’re closer to scoring a third goal than Montreal right now. * Anderson is skating backward in the neutral zone to front a rush and Sabourin lays him out with a hit in his back. The call on the ice is a five-minute major for interference since Anderson was injured on the play. It’s reduced to a minor, but it’s still a late power play for Montreal. * Hutson fires a shot off the bottom of Vasilevskiy’s arm, off his pad, and then off the post. No luck for Montreal at all. * The penalty is killed, and the Lightning will carry some momentum into overtime off the kill. Overtime * The Lightning have more of the possession in the opening minutes. * I don’t like how loose Montreal’s coverage has been to start here. As many open looks for the Lightning already as in the first 60 minutes. * Hutson stick disintegrates as he accepts a D-to-D pass in his zone, and the Lightning spend a shift in Montreal’s zone. Hutson does well to play man-on-man at the top of the zone and eventually get a whistle. * All Lightning in the opening six minutes. * Montreal is getting nothing going in this period, unable to make a play. * The Canadiens get a break with a Lightning icing to give them an offensive-zone faceoff. * Dobeš makes a huge save on Dominic James to keep the Habs in it. * Montreal is way too passive, just backing off and letting the Lightning come in the zone. * Anderson knocks J.J. Moser down after an offside was called, and that was completely unnecessary. He’s lucky that wasn’t a penalty. * They will clean Montreal’s half of the ice at the midpoint of the overtime period. A shockingly one-sided affair so far. * Moser scores on the ninth shot of an overtime period the Canadiens just weren’t in at all. A shocking development considering how the first six periods were played. * It’s good that the Canadiens take a win home with them to Montreal, but that overtime was very concerning if the Lightning learn how to replicate that. Game 3 goes Thursday night in Montreal. EOTP 3 Stars 3) He’s loving all the attention 2) Not many players worse 1) Just needed a bit of luck at the end of regulation to add another

Canadiens @ Lightning Top Six Minutes: A shockingly poor overtime evens the series

Canadiens @ Lightning Round 1 Game 2: Preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch 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+ The Montreal Canadiens didn’t have much luck with broken sticks during the regular season. Their fortunes didn’t suddenly change when the post-season began on Sunday, as first Jake Evans’s stick broke while killing a penalty to allow a one-timer from Darren Raddysh that he had been doing well to prevent, then a one-handed tap from Zachary Bolduc snapped the top eight inches off the stick of J.J. Moser, setting up the second power-play goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadiens otherwise locked things down fairly tightly versus the host team in Game 1. They allowed just one high-danger chance in the 43:08 of five-on-five time in the game; the goal that came 29 seconds after the Raddysh’s slapshot. The Habs were the far superior team in the final two periods despite getting outscored in the middle frame, and they deserved to take the win in Game 1. The most encouraging aspect was that Montreal’s own power play came to life after a slow end to the season. Not only did that allow the Habs outscore Tampa Bay in the special teams department, it will act as a deterrent to the aggressive style the Lightning have tried to use versus Montreal in the three meetings over the past few weeks. Unable to really punish those tactics in the final two meetings in the regular season, going a combined one-for-10 in those contests, the power play came through in a big way with three goals on Sunday. In his post-game availability, Jon Cooper used the word “stupidity” to describe his team’s discipline issues, stressing the need to adjust for Game 2, and forcing a team to think about how it approaches each physical interaction will only be good news for the Canadiens. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Lightning 62.7% Expected-goal share 37.3% 4.00 Goals per game 3.00 3.00 Goals against per game 4.00 60.0% PP% 40.0% 60.0% PK% 40.0% Juraj Slafkovský (3) Most goals Brandon Hagel (2) Suzuki/Caufield (2) Most assists Jake Guentzel (3) Juraj Slafkovský (3) Most points Jake Guentzel (3) A big factor in the power play’s success was Nick Suzuki’s work in the faceoff dot. He had been above 50% overall during the regular season and improved from the start of the year, but on the power play his efficiency was just 49.7%. On Sunday night, he won six of the eight faceoffs he took, giving the team possession in the offensive zone without needing to execute an entry. There isn’t a great deal that needs to be changed on Montreal’s side of things, so it’s unlikely any lineup changes are in store for tonight. The only real question mark going in was Alexandre Texier and how effective he could be in the playoffs, and he ended up as one of the top forwards by expected-goal share at 64.4%. The leader in that category was Zachary Bolduc at a whopping 91.6% as he and the third line handled their matchup versus Tampa Bay’s depth easily. He carried the play he was showing at the end of the regular season directly into the playoffs, and could become a source of secondary offence as the Lightning have to deploy their best defenders versus the Suzuki trio. Of all the players who gave the Lightning fits on Sunday, Lane Hutson may have been the cause of the most frustration. They thought they could run at him and neutralize his game; he ended up playing a game-high 29:00, over 18 minutes of that at five-on-five, and helped to create four of Montreal’s eight high-danger chances. The only blemish on his report card was a misplayed puck that banked off the side of the net to set up the Lightning’s second goal. He enjoyed a 7-3 edge is scoring chances while he was on the ice, and maintained his point-per-game playoff average with an assist on Slafkovský’s overtime winner. The Canadiens were already confident going into the series given how they finished the season and after beating the Lightning a couple of times leading up to the playoffs. Now with a 1-0 lead, they should be feeling even better about their chances. Home-ice advantage is already theirs, just needing to win their games at the Bell Centre to secure the series, but they would add another 10 decibels to their on-ice welcome if they can replicate Sunday’s performance and head back to Montreal with two wins on the board.

Canadiens @ Lightning Round 1 Game 2: Preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

Tuesday Habs Headlines: Big Game Performance Montreal Canadiens News and Notes * The version of Juraj Slafkovský fans have become familiar with at the Olympics has arrived at the NHL playoffs. [Yahoo Sports | CBC | Sportsnet | The Athletic | Radio-Canada | Montreal Gazette] * Slafkovský became the first Habs player to score a hat trick of power play goals in the playoffs. [NHL] * Slaf continues to show that the Habs picked right when they drafted him. [La Presse | Montreal Gazette] * Josh Anderson proving his worth. [TVA Sports] * Montreal’s power play put in a better showing than it had at the end of the regular season. [Montreal Gazette] * Alexandre Carrier and Arber Xhekaj helped fill the hole left by an injured Noah Dobson. [Sportsnet] * Tampa might see their loss as self-inflicted, but Montreal still made things happen and didn’t crumble under pressure. [The Athletic] * The series intensity is only likely to ramp up as games go by. [Radio-Canada] Around the League and Elsewhere * The Capitals are ready for whatever Alex Ovechkin decides to do. [TSN | Sportsnet | La Presse] * Connor Hellebuyck made some strong statements about the Jets, and the team doesn’t disagree. [TSN | NHL | Sportsnet] * The situation seems to be tense between Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers. [Yahoo Sports] * Thatcher Demko wants to get back on the ice and help the Canucks turn the ship around. [Sportsnet] * The Oilers are hoping that this playoff experience will provide Connor McDavid with reasons to stick around in Edmonton. [The Athletic]

Tuesday Habs Headlines: Big Game Performance

Bottom Six Minutes: Juraj Slafkovsky introduces himself to Tampa The underdog Montreal Canadiens were in Florida on Sunday night to start their playoff series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The game had all of the intensity that their final regular season meeting suggested the series would eventually have, culminating in an overtime thriller. The Habs’ mission in going to Tampa was clear; try to take at least one of the two games and get a split before going back to Montreal. Not only did they accomplish that mission in game one, they have a chance to make it two. None of that would be possible without Juraj Slafkovsky, who introduced himself to the Lightning, and to these playoffs with a hat trick that included the game winner. JURAJ SLAFKOVSKÝ IS YOUR @ENERGIZER OVERTIME HERO AND THE @CANADIENSMTL TAKE GAME 1! 🔵⚪️🔴 #STANLEYCUP pic.twitter.com/qKVfKoKFAd— NHL (@NHL) April 20, 2026 The game-winning shot was a laser beam from the dot. He had another one from the other side of the ice to tie the game in the second period, and one from the slot, all three coming on a power play that had been struggling towards the end of the regular season. The Habs were the better team at five-on-five, but with the sheer amount of penalties, they didn’t quite get to showcase that as much as they’d have liked. They needed their power play to step up, and where you might expect it to be Cole Caufield, it was the young Slovak. Slafkovsky is of course one of the young players on this roster who wasn’t around when the Habs fell to Tampa in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2021. We know the story all too well, after coming up short in what would be Carey Price and Shea Weber’s last dance, the team sank to the bottom of the standings quickly without them, and went slightly against the grain with their selection of Slafkovsky at first overall. As he promised at the draft, he has won over the fans in Montreal, and now, he’s shown Tampa that this iteration of the Canadiens has a little more to offer with him around. He took a hard hit from Ryan McDonagh prior to any of his goals that seemed to fire him up. Slafkovsky immediately went after McDonagh and looked like he wanted to send a message to the Lightning. The best message he could have possibly sent was three absolutely clutch goals that ultimately won the game for the Habs. It was a tour de force. It was a message to Tampa that he is a problem they didn’t quite anticipate. It was reminiscent of the individual brilliance that Slafkovsky has showed when competing for his country at the international level. His team needed someone to step up, and you would think that la Sainte Flanelle was replaced by a Slovakia jersey with the way he responded. I had opined on our roundtable episode before the series that he and Josh Anderson could be the two most important players for Montreal in this series. I hate to toot my own horn, but I feel quite vindicated in that opinion after what we just saw on Sunday night. Of course, I didn’t predict Slafkovsky would go out there and win the game with a hat trick. If that kind of performance is what we can expect from him throughout the playoffs, look out. Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back for game two on Tuesday night.

Bottom Six Minutes: Juraj Slafkovsky introduces himself to Tampa

Laval @ Toronto recap & highlights: The Calder Cup Playoffs await The end of the AHL regular season had not gone the smoothest for the Laval Rocket, alternating losses and inconsistent efforts over the month of April. However, thanks to the Belleville Senators of all teams, they clinched a second straight AHL North Division title, and had nothing really to play for over the weekend. Sunday’s lineup reflected that for the Rocket as Sammy Blais, Joshua Roy, and Alex Belzile all got the day off, while Lucas Condotta was out serving a one-game suspension. That meant a total overhaul for the Rocket offence, with Vinzenz Rohrer making his AHL debut alongside Owen Beck and Sean Farrell. Dillan Bentley, Josh Nadeau, and Vincent Arseneau rounded out the forward group. On defence, it was a debut for Aiden Dubinsky, as he slotted in next to Tobie Bisson on the first pair. With Toronto still vying for home ice in their first-round series, they struck first once again as the Rocket defence failed to break up an odd-man rush. Luke Haymes was able to feed a puck around Marc Del Gaizo to Dakota Mermis, who in turn fired it by Hunter Shepard for an early Marlies lead. Despite the short-handed lineup and early goal against, the Rocket pushed back against Toronto almost instantly as Rohrer moved the puck through the slot with ease. The fourth line of Bentley and Nadeau also found room to operate, forcing some timely saves from Artur Akhtyamkov to keep the puck out. Shepard had to match the Marlies’ netminder as he denied Marc Johnstone’s partial break with a mask save of his own. Luke Tuch, in a battle with Easton Cowan, was sent to the box after he hauled down the Toronto forward, but it did little to slow down the Rocket pressure. Rohrer charged down Cowan at the blue line, knocking the puck away and starting a short-handed rush with Owen Beck. Rohrer took a return feed and looked to throw a pass to the back post for Beck, but a Toronto stick directed his pass into the net, giving Rohrer his first career AHL goal. Laval’s penalty-killers handled the rest of Tuch’s minor with relative ease, allowing the offence to begin grinding away again at even strength. Tyler Thorpe and Florian Xhekaj used their frames to win the puck along the boards and then generate chaos in the front of net as the Rocket looked for a second goal. Even with nothing to play for, it was the Rocket who were getting the best looks as the first period came to a close. While the game was tied 1-1, the Rocket owned a 15-11 shot advantage. Just like the first period, the Rocket surrendered the opening goal of the second frame and found themselves down 2-1 early. A cross-ice feed from Matt Benning to Vinni Lettieri beat Shepard over the shoulder and just under the crossbar, on just the second Marlies shot of the period. Toronto had begun to throw its top-six forwards over the boards more often as they tried to increase their lead, leaving a thrown-together bottom six scrambling to defend on most shifts. Just as the fourth line looked like it was starting to tilt the ice, Vincent Arseneau got his stick in the mouth of Marshall Rifai, drawing a double-minor and putting the Rocket penalty kill in an extremely crucial spot. Laval’s penalty-killers did an impeccable job at keeping the Toronto power play in low-danger spots and also pressuring them while short-handed to keep the attack off-balance. One last clear by Beck sprung Vincent Arseneau from the box and the play returned to even strength. An interference call gave the Rocket their first power play of the game, however with many of their usual starters out, the man advantage lacked much of its usual crispness. Jared Davidson and Filip Mešár each had solid looks, but fired their chances over the top of the net, leaving the Rocket still trailing by a goal. The end of the period didn’t feature much from either side, but with results coming from Cleveland, the third period would be played for nothing but pride. Aiden Dubinsky kicked off the third period with a holding penalty, putting the Marlies’ power play back on the ice looking to find some potential insurance. Another strong penalty kill led by Beck and Rohrer kept the game at a 2-1 scoreline, as the Rocket moved to four-for-four on penalty kills on the afternoon. Eventually the Marlies took advantage of Shepard’s aggressiveness in net as they doubled their lead. Jacob Quillan drew out Shepard with a shot, then after collecting his rebound he circled the net to tuck it in on the other side while Shepard was sprawled out at the opposite post. A scrum between Xhekaj and Ryan Tverberg resulted in Xhekaj being given an early shower, and the Rocket going short-handed again. Right off the opening draw the Rocket dumped the puck in, forcing Akhtyamov to try to play it behind his net. Rohrer swept in, stealing the puck and setting up Beck for the second short-handed goal of the game to make it a 3-2 contest. Lmao, Vinzenz Rohrer has his second career AHL point…It is also shorthanded as he sets up Owen Beck— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) 2026-04-19T22:15:43.392Z Laval managed again to fend off the Marlies’ power play, keeping their deficit at just one goal, but time was running down on the clock to potentially end the season on a win. While Bentley did his best to try to find a tying goal, his effort went just wide of goal, and left the Rocket with just two minutes left to work with. A strong drive by Rohrer nearly saw him tally his second goal of the game, and it also allowed the Rocket to get Shepard to the bench for an extra attacker. Laval created chances, but with Michael Pezzetta camped out in the neutral zone, the puck soon found its way into the empty net to close out the game. Final Score: Toronto 4, Laval 2 Laval will now have some time off as they await the winner of the three-game series between the Toronto Marlies and Rochester Americans which kicks off this week. The opening date is not yet confirmed, but the Rocket will have home ice for their five-game series.

Laval @ Toronto recap & highlights: The Calder Cup Playoffs await

The Montreal Canadiens didn’t panic in Game 1 win If there is one thing that has defined the Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes-run Montreal Canadiens, it is conviction. They have a plan, they believe in their plan, and they will stick to it. The plan won’t always take the conventional route, either. Hiring Martin St-Louis was not a conventional hire. Taking Juraj Slafkovský was not the conventional selection at first overall. Even Gorton hiring Hughes wasn’t conventional. It was all calculated, however. Through two periods on Sunday night, things didn’t look great. The Canadiens stuck with their game plan. The game was much closer than the shot clock indicated, but Montreal used the third period and the start of overtime to make even that element look closer. In reality, the five-on-five scoring chances were 15-11 for Montreal with the Canadiens holding a 8-1 high-danger lead. There were times when the decisions they made didn’t always look like they would work. The first season under St-Louis wasn’t great, and Slafkovský didn’t look dominant in his rookie season even before his season ended early because of an injury. On Sunday night, things didn’t come easy either. They took an early lead, but when they appeared to go up 2-0, the goal was struck with a high stick. When the Lightning finally got on the board, they scored just 29 seconds later and suddenly the Canadiens were down 2-1. They didn’t panic. They didn’t change their approach. Even on the power play, things didn’t come easy. The Canadiens needed to regroup after clears on almost every chance they had, even the ones where they eventually scored. They were persistent and it led to three power play goals, all scored by Slafkovský (and Matt will have more on him in the bottom six minutes). The Canadiens just proved that they are able to win an NHL playoff game on the road even when everything doesn’t go their way. It’s something they did during the regular season as well. They have now assured themselves of at least a split before coming home to what should be an insane environment at the Bell Centre for Game 3. They still have business to take care of in Game 2 on Tuesday. There will be ups and downs in a playoff game, and even in a playoff series. The Canadiens are young, scrappy, and hungry and they aren’t about to throw away their shot.

The Montreal Canadiens didn’t panic in Game 1 win

Monday Habs Headlines: Montreal’s discipline plan Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Nick Suzuki shared that Canadiens game plan in terms of discipline wasn’t just about avoiding retaliations, but also deciding when to accept some physicality when a penalty could be a possibility. [La Presse] * Martin St-Louis’s explained his decision to use his timeout in overtime. [Journal de Montreal] * “That’s just stupidity,” Jon Cooper said of his team’s inability to stop taking offensive-zone penalties. [The Athletic] * Juraj Slafkovský’s post-season hat trick was the first for Montreal since Rene Bourque’s in 2014. [TVA Sports] * “Slaf has improved so much throughout the year,” Alexandre Carrier said of his teammate after his Game 1 performance. [Journal de Montreal] * “It’s what we expected of him from the first day we got him,” Dobeš says of Slafkovský reaching the potential that got him selected first overall. [NHL.com] * A photo gallery of Montreal’s opening victory. [Montreal Gazette] * The city of Montreal was ready for the playoffs to begin. [La Presse] Around the league and elsewhere * The game was closer than expected, but the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche got past the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1. [NHL.com] * Down 2-0 in the third period, the Buffalo Sabres rallied with four consecutive goals to get the win in their first playoff game in 15 years. [NHL.com] * The Vegas Golden Knights came from behind to beat the Utah Mammoth. [Sportsnet] * Leon Draisaitl could be able to play in Game 1 tonight. [NHL.com] * Brett Peterson is taking lessons from other recent American championship teams as he puts together this year’s World Championship squad. [NHL.com]

Monday Habs Headlines: Montreal’s discipline plan

Slafkovsky STUNS Lightning in OT! Canadiens Steal Wild Game 1 | PuckTalk Post-Game . 🚨🥅🚨 Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/pucktalkmtl #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Slafkovsky STUNS Lightning in OT! Canadiens Steal Wild Game 1 | PuckTalk Post-Game

Canadiens @ Lightning Top Six Minutes: Juraj Slafkovský authors Game 1 win * The Lightning deserve to lose this game just for picking that singer for O Canada. First period * With the arena about as loud as when the Canadiens introduce their training camp in the home-opener, the puck drops in Game 1. * A collision between Arber Xhekaj and Dominic James sends the Lightning forward to the ice writhing in pain. It looks like Tampa Bay is down to 11 forwards early. * The Canadiens leave the slot completely abandoned and left Erik Cernak step up to the hashmarks for a shot. Jakub Dobeš shoots out to cut down the angle and makes the stop on the most dangerous chance of the game so far. * At the other end, Juraj Slafkovský catches Andrei Vasilevskiy drifting a bit and forces the goaltender into a bit of an acrobatic stop for his first of the game. * Alex Newhook gets sprung on a two-on-one and opts to shoot, but the puck goes of Vasilevskiy’s toe. * The Canadiens have settled into this game after the Lightning came out quickly on home ice, starting to hold the majority of the possession. * Montreal has been the better team the last five minutes. * Tampa Bay is getting the first penalty of the game, a too-many-men call, perhaps the result of having to balance just 11 forwards now. * They won’t be forcing the puck to Cole Caufield now. Everyone is on zero goals just looking for a lead in this road playoff game. * The top unit can’t get the puck over the blue line to get set up. * With the second unit out, still with Lane Hutson on the blue line, the puck gets across the crease, but deflected away from Kirby Dach at the last second. * They didn’t score on the power play, but the fourth line that gave the Lightning fits in the two games down the stretch opens the scoring. Josh Anderson gets the puck in the slot. With Vasilevskiy anticipating pass, Anderson shoots near-side and opens the scoring. * Newhook tries to add a second goal, but has to reach behind him trying to grab the puck and he gets the skates of Conor Geekie instead. Tampa Bay will have its first power play. * Tampa Bay is trying to get the Nikita Kucherov-Darren Raddysh connection, but the high forward does a good job of taking it away, and the penalty is killed. * Slafkovský gets into some space in the offensive zone and then plays the puck to the boards. In the same motion, Emil Lilleberg’s stick was knocked out of his hands, and Slafkovský is getting called for interference. Not even slashing. * Brandon Hagel runs interference on Kaiden Guhle in the offensive zone, and will go to the box. As he was being interfered with, Guhle’s stick was levered into the face of Brayden Point, and Montreal actually ends up with the extra two minutes in penalties with a double-minor. * Nick Suzuki takes a hard slash in the dying seconds as he’s killing the penalty, and has some words for the ref who was standing 20 feet away as he skates off after the whistle. * A strong period for Montreal after surviving the opening minutes, and the shots are bit misleading considering two stops Vasilevskiy made didn’t actually get credited as shots that were on a trajectory to go in the net. Second period * The Lightning power play comes to a quick end as Alexandre Carrier is high-sticked by Kucherov, sending the game to four-on-four. * It only had 30 seconds to work with, so the top unit launched several chances on Vasilevskiy. They need to do more of that with a full two-minute power play. * Montreal is now making the Lightning look as slow as they did in the final two games of the regular-season series. with their skating and quick puck movement. * A minor scrum breaks out after Dobeš makes a save, and Yanni Gourde sees it as an opportunity to skate over and punch Hutson in the face. Anderson comes over to get back at him, and both Anderson and Gourde will go to the box. * The Lightning can’t touch the puck at the moment. Montreal is winning every race to loose pucks. * Anderson tips in a second goal of the game. The refs deem it a goal, but now they will review to see if his stick was high. They determine it was, and the goal comes off the board. * They shouldn’t be fazed by the call. They have the Lightning on the ropes. * Jake Evans and Anderson combine to hit Charle-Edouard D’Astous behind the hit, and the Lightning defenceman seems to have taken the full force of the hit. They’re reviewing for a five-minute major on Anderson, but I can’t imagine it will stand. There was nothing vicious about the play, just unfortunate the Evans’s head happened to be there for D’Astous’s to bounce off of. * He gets called for two minutes for charging, and that’s still a bad call. There was nothing wrong with what Anderson did. He got two minutes for playing too hard. * The refs are doing what they can to drag the Lightning into this game. * Evans’s stick breaks on the penalty kill, and he can’t defend Raddysh the way he wants to the. The one-timer setup comes, and the Lightning tie the game on their fourth power play. * Twenty-nine seconds later, Tampa Bay takes the lead as Hagel walks out front and sends a backhand past Dobes, and the building really comes alive. * With 88 seconds to go, the Canadiens have earned a power play with a cross-check right to Hutson’s face from Geekie. Time for the special teams to come through. * It does in a big way. The top unit gets about eight scoring chances, three shots on target, and a goal from Slafkovský. * A needed recovery, and a blueprint of how to treat every power play for the remainder of this post-season. Third period * Alexandre Texier gets room all alone at the top of the crease and takes a backhand shot that Vasilevskiy can’t corral, but the puck trickles wide. * The third line generates a flurry of chances, requiring a sequence of saves from Vasilevskiy. * Slafkovský gets pulled down as the top line tries to keep the momentum up, and will do so with another Canadiens power play. * Now for the same relentless attack they had to end the second period. * Plenty of shots on the power play. Exactly what you want to see. And it’s helping that Suzuki is winning the vast majority of his faceoffs. * Martin St-Louis clearly likes what he’s been seeing, because he leaves the top unit on the ice after the puck was cleared to Montreal’s zone. The decision is immediately rewarded with Slafkovský’s second power-play goal of the night. * The Lightning are getting a little angry with how things are going right now, a typical development late in their games versus Montreal. * Zachary Bolduc one-hand taps the stick of J.J. Moser as he plays the puck in, and it breaks. It’s another power play for the Lightning * Tampa Bay scores on the power play. Brandon Hagel has his second of the night to tie the game 3-3. * Demidov’s tipped shot just glances off the side of Vasilevskiy. * Jake Guentzel makes a bone-headed decision to whack at a puck that’s six feet high and slashes Guhle in the ear. Montreal has a power play with 20 seconds to play in regulation. * No late winner, but they will be on the power play for 1:40 in overtime. And it won’t be a four-on-three. Overtime * I don’t know what they’re doing, but they’re not showing nearly the urgency they did on their earlier power plays despite a chance for the winning goal on offer. * St-Louis calls his timeout to refocus everyone for what might be the best opportunity to win Game 1. * Again the coach’s strategy finds paydirt. Slafkovský is given too much time at the left faceoff dot, and rips his third goal of the game past the glove of Vasilevskiy. * Montreal gets the win it was looking for to start out this best-of-seven series. * They will go for another one on Tuesday night, aiming to go home with a 2-0 series lead. EOTP 3 Stars 3) They’re not afraid of the Lightning 2) Nothing wrong with a little improv 1) Big-game performer

Canadiens @ Lightning Top Six Minutes: Juraj Slafkovský authors Game 1 win

Canadiens @ Lightning Game 1: Thread, lines, and how to watch 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs Game 1: Montreal Canadiens (A3) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) Start time: **5:45 PM EDT / 2:45 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+ After 82 games, the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning each had 106 points, ranking fifth and sixth in the overall NHL standings. Their reward for such impressive seasons is having to face each other, one of three opening-round matchups featuring two 100-point clubs. The teams are fairly even on paper, and the season series was also close between the teams with each club claiming two victories. However, considering that Montreal’s two wins came in the final weeks of the season, and that the Habs had much better form leading up to the playoffs, you could argue that the Canadiens are the better team at the moment. Things that get cited as reasons to give the edge to the Lightning are their championship pedigree and overall better, or at least more ingrained tactics. However, the Lightning haven’t won any more playoff series in the past three years than the Canadiens, and the Habs have been a more composed team in their defensive play since a rough sequence of games in mid-March. Tampa Bay is familiar with that improved play after scoring just two goals in the final two matches of the season series, so both teams know they’re in for a tight battle for what might be the full seven games of this Eastern Conference Quarter-final. Montreal Canadiens projected lineup .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Wing Centre Right Wing #13 Cole Caufield #14 Nick Suzuki #20 Juraj Slafkovský #85 Alexandre Texier #15 Alex Newhook #93 Ivan Demidov #76 Zachary Bolduc #91 Oliver Kapanen #77 Kirby Dach #71 Jake Evans #24 Phillip Danault #17 Josh Anderson .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-rjwb{background-color:#21386F;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #21 Kaiden Guhle #48 Lane Hutson #8 Mike Matheson #45 Alexandre Carrier #47 Jayden Struble #72 Arber Xhekaj .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-n1r7{background-color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} 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 .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-nrix{text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} 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 #22 Oliver Bjorkstand .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Left Defence Right Defence #90 J.J. Moser #43 Darren Raddysh #27 Ryan McDonagh #81 Erik Cernak #51 Charle-Edouard D’Astous #78 Emil Lilleberg .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Starter Backup #88 Andrei Vasilevskiy #33 Brandon Halverson Injured: Victor Hedman, Pontus Holmberg, Jonas Johansson Scratched: Declan Carlile, Mitchell Chaffee, Max Crozier, Jakob Pelletier, Scott Sabourin, Steven Santini

Canadiens @ Lightning Game 1: Thread, lines, and how to watch

Looking toward the Tampa Bay Lightning series: A round table Matt Drake, Jared Book, and Patrik Bexell join the podcast for a round table ahead of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens. The first thing that is being discussed is the physicality of the series and the fact that Montreal looks to be in a better position to handle it this season compared to last season’s series against the Washington Capitals. One of the key themes early in the podcast was the uncertainty around Victor Hedman. With Hedman away on personal leave, the panel felt his status could become one of the defining factors of the series. The expectation was that if he is available, he will play in Game 1, but the real question is what version of him Tampa gets. If Hedman is close to full strength, he remains the best defenceman in the series and stabilizes everything for Tampa Bay. If he is limited physically or has to play reduced minutes, Montreal may be able to exploit the Lightning’s depth behind him. That also tied into the discussion about the coaching battle between Martin St-Louis and Jon Cooper. The group viewed Cooper as one of the best playoff coaches in the league and expected the series to become a chess match built around line-matching and adjustments. For St-Louis, it was described as a major learning experience against an elite bench boss, but also an opportunity to show how far he has come with this young Montreal team. A big tactical point was how difficult it will be for Tampa Bay to find favourable ice for Nikita Kucherov. If the Lightning try to keep Kucherov away from Nick Suzuki, there is still Phillip Danault waiting. The feeling on the podcast was that there simply may not be enough favourable situations for Kucherov to consistently avoid Montreal’s two strongest matchup centres. That could become even more important if Tampa Bay chooses to use Anthony Cirelli heavily against Suzuki. In that case, Kucherov could end up seeing more of Danault’s line or spending shifts against more physical players like Josh Anderson. The panel felt Montreal would gladly accept that trade, particularly if Anderson can frustrate Kucherov and drag him into post-whistle scrums or matching penalties, taking Tampa Bay’s best offensive player off the ice for stretches. Standout player picks Jared: Lane Hutson “I think this might be the one for him. I think the opportunity is there. I think the confidence is there.” Matt: Ivan Demidov Matt called Demidov a potential X-factor, especially if Tampa Bay focuses too much on the Suzuki line: “I think Ivan Demidov might be a bit of an afterthought for Tampa, and I think that’s a problem. He could go out there and torch them and put up one point per game in this series.” Patrik: Jakub Dobes Patrik argued that Montreal’s goalie may have to be the real difference-maker. “Jakub Dobes will have to be the standout for Montreal, because if he isn’t, they’re crashing out.” Jared partly agreed, saying Dobes does not necessarily have to steal the series, but “he has to be good-to-really-good for the Canadiens to have any chance in the series.” Biggest surprise picks Patrik: David Reinbacher “This is the rise of the Reinbacher.” The caveat being that for Reinbacher to have a potential playoff breakthrough story, he has to get into the lineup. Matt agreed with that idea up and said Reinbacher could become the biggest surprise if given the chance. “I think he’s got a shot to be the biggest surprise for sure,” along with drawing some comparisons with P.K. Subban’s entry into the Canadiens in the 2010 playoffs. Jared: Kirby Dach Dach’s size and playoff profile make him an intriguing surprise candidate. “If he wants to remain a Montreal Canadien, he’s going to have to have a good series. I think that when the lights are brightest, he steps up a little bit. Matt: Oliver Kapanen Since Patrik had already used Reinbacher, Matt went with Kapanen: “I think he’s going to step up and score some big goals in this series.” The logic was that Tampa Bay may focus too much on Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovský, leaving room for Kapanen to capitalize around the net. Prediction: How it ends All three saw a long series, but they did not fully agree on the winner. Jared: “Montreal in 6.” “It would not surprise me if it went seven, but stuck with the Canadiens in six. Montreal wants to win the series at home, and will clinch if they have the opportunity.” Matt: “I’m going Habs in 7. I do think this one’s going 7.” “I feel Andrei Vasilevskiy would probably steal a couple of games, which is why I expect the series to go the distance.” Patrik: “If Hedman is at 90% or close to 100%, it’s gonna be Tampa in 7.” Overall takeaway The group sees this as a true coin-flip series. They believe Montreal is ahead of schedule, has less pressure than Tampa Bay, and has a real chance to win, especially if it can grab one of the first two games on the road. The best summary lines comes from Jared. “It won’t be a big surprise if they win, but it also won’t be a big surprise if they lose. Tampa is still a formidable team to go up against.” Matt left the closing feeling on the matchup: “This series is going to be … I think it’s the best series in the first round.” ---

Looking toward the Tampa Bay Lightning series: A round table

Canadiens @ Lightning Round 1 Game 1: Preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Eastern Conference QFs Game 1: Montreal Canadiens (A3) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) Start time: **5:45 PM EDT / 2:45 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+ After a rough start to the 2024-25 season, the Canadiens had to exhaust their energy reserves over the final third of the season just to make the playoffs. It took winning streaks of five and six games, as well as a three-game point streak to finish the 82-game schedule to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets to the final spot. Every game down the stretch was essentially a playoff game, leaving no chance for anyone to rest. A young Canadiens team went to overtime in its first post-season match since the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, but lost the first two games on the road to start the series, and ended up winning just a single game versus the Washington Capitals in 2025. This year, Montreal got the important work done with time remaining in the season, and that let them take things a bit more slowly in the final couple of weeks, earning the luxury of focusing on personal milestones for their top players rather than fighting for points in the standings. Injured players, specifically Kaiden Guhle and Alexandre Carrier, were given ample time to heal rather than being rushed back into the lineup. Veterans Mike Matheson, Phillip Danault, and Josh Anderson were taken out of the lineup to get some extra time off before taking on shutdown roles in the post-season, all entering tonight’s game on a full week’s rest. A combination of David Savard’s retirement, the departure of veterans, and the injection of some prospects to the roster has actually lowered the Canadiens’ average age from a season ago, but this younger team also has the benefit of experience. Juraj Slafkovský has his first series under his belt (not to mention handling the pressure of being a relied-upon player at the Olympics), Jakub Dobeš has started two post-season games (and claimed a win), while Lane Hutson, who faced persistent questions about how effective he could be in the NHL, enters this year’s second season with a share of an offensive record for the most storied franchise in hockey, and as a point-per-game playoff performer. Tale of the Tape .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-ymce{background-color:#BE2F37;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} Canadiens Statistics Lightning 48-24-10 Record 50-26-6 48.6% (23rd) Expected-goal share 54.2% (4th) 3.40 (7th) Goals per game 3.49 (4th) 3.06 (16th) Goals against per game 2.79 (3rd) 23.1% (10th) PP% 20.7% (17th) 78.2% (18th) PK% 82.6% (3rd) 2-1-1 Head-to-Head Record 2-2-0 Cole Caufield (51) Most goals Nikita Kucherov (44) Nick Suzuki (72) Most assists Nikita Kucherov (86) Nick Suzuki (101) Most points Nikita Kucherov (130) Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s core is a little bit older, and the performances haven’t been the same for them in the past few years. After they won the Cup versus Montreal in 2021 they made the Final again the next season, but they enter this year’s playoffs on three consecutive first-round exits. The second-most-senior member of their blue line, Victor Hedman is feeling the effects of a 17-year playing career that features a 13th post-season appearance. A suspected shoulder injury saw him play just 33 games this season, the lowest total of his career. He is currently still on Long-Term Injured Reserve, but trying to get ready to return at some point for the team. The questions aren’t just about whether he will be able to play, but if he will be able to contribute after a half-point-per-game season and posting the first negative goal differential since his third season in the NHL. We know that Noah Dobson won’t be available for Montreal for at least the first week of the post-season, and even that is a conservative date for a re-evaluation, not a return. It sounds like each team will be down its highest-paid blue-liner to at least begin the series, and how game-ready they would be if they returned is a mystery for each. The teams enter this series having experienced very different ends to the season. To arrive at the same total of 106 points, the Canadiens went 16-7-2 after the Olympics to rise up from the wild-card race, while the Lightning saw a sizable gap at the top of the Atlantic Division evaporate as they went 13-12-2 in the final 27 games. The three-day break they just enjoyed between their 82nd game of the season on Wednesday and today’s opener is just their third of two days or more since the Olympics and their first one in a month, allowing for a rare moment of recovery. A significant reason for Tampa Bay’s late-season struggles was the power play, which was 27th in the NHL at 16.7% dating back to the league’s resumption on February 25. Montreal’s power play was also well off the pace it was earlier in the season, down two percentage points in the final third of the year. On the first day of the 2026 post-season, there were 21 power plays awarded in three games. The general thinking is that teams are left to fend for themselves when the playoffs start, but last year teams were granted an average of three power plays per game as well, which was up from the 2.25 they could expect in the regular season. There will be plenty of opportunities to play with an extra skater in this series, and the team that is able to rekindle its power-play chemistry will have a major upper hand.

Canadiens @ Lightning Round 1 Game 1: Preview, start time, Tale of the Tape, and how to watch

Sunday Habs Headlines: The importance of the second line Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Alexandre Texier and Ivan Demidov are prepared to be difference-makers in their second-line roles. [La Presse] * The difference between the 2021 series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning and the one the Canadiens are about to start today is that Montreal has spent the past five years adding skill to the lineup through the draft, explains Phillip Danault. [RDS] * Juraj Slafkovský on facing his friend, Erik Cernak, in the opening round: “I’m going to head into the corners against him, just like I’ll do against all the other Lightning players.” [NHL.com] * How the Canadiens can beat the Lightning. [The Athletic] * Goaltending will be a critical aspect of the series. [NHL.com] * The Canadiens are the dark horse choice to win the Stanley Cup among first-round underdogs. [The Athletic] * Martin St-Louis described the team as “confident” and “excited.” [NHL.com] * St-Louis will join Brian Sutter as the only coaches to face the team in the post-season that retired their number as a player. [Journal de Montreal] * A late rally wasn’t enough for the Laval Rocket to overcome a 4-0 deficit in a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Marlies on Saturday. [La Presse] Around the league and elsewhere * The Carolina Hurricanes shut out the Ottawa Senators to take a 1-0 series lead. [Sportsnet] * A six-goal performance allowed the Minnesota Wild to rout the Dallas Stars. [Sportsnet] * The Philadelphia Flyers stole home-ice advantage with a Game 1 upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins. [Sportsnet] * Switching to defence at 16, it took Darren Raddysh a while to feel comfortable, but at 30 years old he’s begun to master the position. [La Presse] * Victor Hedman has joined his teammates, but it’s unknown when or if he will return to the lineup. [La Presse] * The Buffalo Sabres are expecting a loud crowd for their first home playoff game in 15 years. [NHL.com] * Macklin Celebrini is keeping an open mind regarding what his next contract with the San Jose Sharks could look like. [NHL.com] * Roger McQueen signed his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks. [NHL.com] * Cole Koepke signed a two-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets. [Sportsnet]

Sunday Habs Headlines: The importance of the second line

Nicole Gosling scores in OT, Victoire clinch home-ice advantage for Round 1 The Montreal Victoire added another chapter to their remarkable season on Friday night, defeating the Boston Fleet 3–2 in overtime in front of a sold-out crowd. Montreal became the first team in PWHL history to reach 60 points in a single regular season, further solidifying their position atop the league standings. The win also extended their points streak to 16 games, a stretch that includes 14 victories and just two overtime losses. It was also their seventh straight win, and second straight win over the second-place Fleet. The hero of the night was Nicole Gosling, who scored on a power play just 38 seconds into overtime to seal the win. Earlier in the game, Jade Downie-Landry and Kaitlin Willoughby found the back of the net for the Victoire, putting them up 2–0. The Fleet responded with goals from Jessie Eldridge and Daniela Pejšová, forcing overtime. Photo Credit: SheilaP Abbey Levy got the start in net for Boston and settled in after allowing two early goals, finishing with 28 saves. Ann-Renée Desbiens turned away 26 shots, and with the win, became the first goaltender in PWHL history to reach 40 career victories. With the victory, Montreal officially clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, guaranteeing a top-two finish. After the final buzzer, fans stuck around to hear from GM Danièle Sauvageau, head coach Kori Cheverie, and injured captain Marie-Philip Poulin. Poulin addressed the crowd in French, saying: “Montreal, the energy you bring is exceptional […] It’s the energy we need most, because the playoffs are coming up. We have one goal in mind — we want to win the Walter Cup!” As the regular season winds down, the Victoire are not only winning—they’re making history while doing it. The Victoire finish up the final two games of their regular season out West, facing the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday night before playing the Seattle Torrent on Saturday, when all eight PWHL teams will be in action. Standings .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-9wq8{border-color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-177o{background-color:#A6192E;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-uzvj{border-color:inherit;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-fll5{border-color:inherit;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-in8q{background-color:#862633;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-dero{background-color:#154734;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-7nly{background-color:#2E1A47;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-yjg3{background-color:#307FE2;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-8b2c{background-color:#00B2A9;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-j1od{background-color:#10457F;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} .tg .tg-2b5l{background-color:#0A5458;border-color:inherit;color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle} TEAM GP GR RW OW SW OL RL PTS GF GA MAX PTS MAGIC TRAGIC #1 HOME GOLD PT % GF/G GA/G MTL 27 3 16 2 2 2 5 58 70 34 67 X – 9 4 – 0.716 2.59 1.26 BOS 26 4 14 2 3 2 5 54 64 38 66 X – 13 8 – 0.692 2.46 1.46 MIN 26 4 13 3 0 4 6 49 82 59 61 X – 18 13 – 0.628 3.15 2.27 OTT 27 3 7 5 2 1 12 36 61 71 45 8 10 31 26 – 0.444 2.26 2.63 TOR 26 4 9 1 0 5 11 34 47 65 46 10 11 33 28 – 0.436 1.81 2.50 NY 26 4 8 1 1 3 13 31 58 72 43 13 8 36 31 – 0.397 2.23 2.77 VAN 26 4 7 1 0 4 14 27 50 69 39 17 4 40 35 – 0.346 1.92 2.65 SEA 26 4 7 0 1 3 15 26 52 76 38 18 2 41 36 – 0.333 2.00 2.92 Montreal, Boston, and Minnesota have clinched playoff spots. Seattle is the first team eliminated and will now start accumulating ‘Gold’ points to clinch the top draft pick. Four teams are now fighting for one spot, and New York, Toronto, and Ottawa all play one of their final two games against one another. The team that finishes first chooses their opponent between the third and fourth-placed finishers in the first round of the playoffs. All rounds are best-of-three. Highlights

Nicole Gosling scores in OT, Victoire clinch home-ice advantage for Round 1

Where the Montreal Canadiens rank heading into the playoffs The Montreal Canadiens secured their playoff spot relatively early this season after needing a win in the final game in 2024-25 to punch their ticket. They separated themselves from the wild-card pack during an eight-game winning streak, and were tied for top spot in the Atlantic Division as late as April 12. Despite going into the post-season playing on the road as a divisional third seed, the Canadiens ended up sixth overall in the league standings. Five of the top nine clubs were from the Atlantic, turning it into the most competitive division after the Central Division had been granted that title for much of the season. The 106 points tell a story of a team that took a significant step from a season ago when they finished with 91. We’ll dive deeper into their play to see where they rank in other areas as they prepare for their opening playoff game on Sunday. 7th Hits A team with two of its top three players being the 5’8″ Cole Caufield and 5’9″ Lane Hutson isn’t one you think about when envisioning a physical brand of hockey. Montreal’s current roster is the sixth-shortest and ninth-lightest in the NHL, fourth and third in those categories among the 16 playoffs. Yet hits were a common occurrence in Canadiens games, as they finished seventh in the NHL with 1,810, an average of 22 per game. The club Montreal will face earned a reputation as a mean team this year, starting in the pre-season with some brawl-filled games versus a Florida Panthers team that they (and most others around the league) thought was the franchise they needed to prove themselves against. By the end of the season they had racked up 1,207 penalty minutes, the only team in quadruple digits this season, but not a great deal more hits at 1,642. By the last couple of games between the Habs and Lightning, Tampa Bay had turned its ire to Montreal, one of the two teams they were most likely to play when the post-season began. Those were physical games as well, at least after the whistles, and Montreal outscored and outhit its opponent in each. The Montreal Canadiens will not be pushed around 6th Faceoff winning percentage since Phillip Danault’s arrival As the league was about to pause for the holidays, Montreal was 49.3% in the faceoff circle as a team, losing a few more draws than they won and chasing the game more than they would have liked. On December 19, Phillip Danault was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, and debuted for his second tenure with the Canadiens four days later. Following his addition to the roster, the Canadiens finished the season with a 52.3% efficiency. Danault must have helped everyone else improve their work at the dots as well because most players saw their percentages increase over the remainder of the season. Nick Suzuki rose from a sub-50% win rate to 51.8%, and as good as Danault was at 56.2%, Jake Evans was even better at 57.7% over his final 34 games. Martin St-Louis recognizes that he has two players who can be expected to win the majority of their draws and has loaded both Danault and Evans onto the same line, giving his shutdown trio both a left- and right-shot option. That line has another ace up its sleeve. Josh Anderson took 33 faceoffs in 2025-26 and won 23 of them, a 69.7% win rate, the highest percentage on the team. It was no fluke; Anderson won 59.2% of his 49 faceoffs last year as well. It’s another element Anderson brings to the line if needed, in addition to shadowing Nikita Kucherov for the best-of-seven opening-round season. 5th Net penalty differential (drawn versus taken) since December 27 We complained a lot about the officiating this year (and we all still remember those stolen two points in Edmonton), but after the Christmas break, the Canadiens sent their power play onto the ice 15 more times than they deployed the penalty kill. Considering that the power play was in the top five in the league for much of that time, Montreal was able to take advantage of the edge in calls. Over that same stretch, the Lightning had the second-lowest mark at -22. The officials weren’t allowing them to get away with the post-whistle shenanigans they liked to instigate, and for the first time since they won the Stanley Cup in 2021 they didn’t get the majority of power plays during their season. Those numbers bore out in the four games between the teams this season, with Montreal receiving 18 power plays to Tampa Bay’s 12. Will that trend hold when the playoffs begin? 4th Second-period goals For the first few seasons of Martin St-Louis’s tenure as coach, second periods were a big concern for Montreal, usually outplayed and outscored in each of his first three-and-a-third seasons. Things changed this year when the Canadiens ended with seven more goals than they allowed in the middle 20 minutes. Their 98 second-period goals ranked fourth in the NHL, behind the 100 posted by all of Tampa Bay, the Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars. When you add in overtime goals, only Dallas scored more (109-108) in periods played with the long change this year. That improvement bodes well for any game that goes beyond 60 minutes this post-season. The Canadiens don’t need to have two opposing players removed from the ice to find success when their bench is 100 feet away. 3rd Team save percentage (Dobeš/Fowler tandem) Samuel Montembeault’s struggles have been well-documented, coming into this year after two seasons among the league’s best goaltenders in goals saved above expected and finishing as the third goaltender on the roster who doesn’t even dress as the backup. That spot has been taken by Jacob Fowler, who looked good after getting his first NHL call-up on December 9, and has been a permanent member of the team since his second stint began on March 11. Fowler was very good in his 17 starts (ending up just six behind Montembeault in that department), and Jakub Dobeš was one of the NHL’s most effective goaltenders in the second half of the season, named the league’s first star for the week of March 23-29 when he allowed a total of four goals across three victories. If you remove Montembeault’s numbers from the equation, adding Dobeš’s .901 save percentage to the .908 that Fowler finished with in his first season in the NHL, that .903 effectiveness would rank third in the NHL in terms of team save percentage, behind the Jennings Trophy-winning tandem of Scott Wedgewood and MacKenzie Blackwood in Colorado and the goaltending complement of a Minnesota Wild team that ranked fourth-best in goals against this year. .tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-bobw{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-n1r7{background-color:#FFF;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-7zrl{text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-8d8j{text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom} .tg .tg-j6zm{font-weight:bold;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom} Team Team Sv% Colorado Avalanche .909 Minnesota Wild .904 Canadiens (Dobeš/Fowler) .903 Buffalo Sabres .900 Boston Bruins .899 Dobeš and Fowler combined to earn 82 points in their 59 starts, projecting to 114 points if they shared all 82 starts, a number that would have seen them finish first in the Eastern Conference. Even Montembeault was able to post a winning record in 2025-26, proof that the Canadiens can win games without their goaltender being at his best. But in a post-season that is missing 11 of the top 16 clubs by team save percentage, having a quality goaltender (or two) at hand might be a difference-maker. 2nd Road record Perhaps one of those games in which Montembeault handed away a win, the frustrating season-series sweeps at the hands of the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, or that suspicious officiating versus the Oilers was a blessing in disguise. A dropped two points that the Canadiens should have had somewhere along the way locked them into starting their opening-round series on the road, and that’s where Montreal has played best. Their road record of 24-9-8 was second in the league, tied with the Dallas Stars, responsible for 56 of their 106 points. If there are no upsets in any of the series the Canadiens aren’t involved in, the Habs are slated to be the lower seed in every round as their path goes through four of the top five teams in the NHL. Even if the Habs weren’t a better road team than they were at home, where they still claimed 50 points in 41 games, starting on the road might not be a bad thing. Success to start each series for them would be winning one of the opening two games in the opponent’s arena, so there is room for a young team — the youngest ever to make the post-season, even younger than last year’s record-setting team — to make a few errors and still set itself up to take the series. 1st Penalty kill since start of critical five-game road trip At the trade deadline, Montreal ranked 27th in the NHL on the penalty kill, able to survive just 76.5% of their man disadvantage situations. Expected to add a veteran defenceman to the fold, Kent Hughes instead spent his time leading up to the 3:00 cutoff looking for a more long-term addition to his core than a rental on the blue line. Analysts believed it was a mistake to not address the defence, and that difficulty killing penalties was cited as one of the biggest reasons. With no outside help coming, the Canadiens had to find internal solutions to the one aspect of their game that was threatening to spoil their season. Still stuck in the bottom six near the end of the month of March, they needed to change things for the five-game road trip that featured good power plays from the likes of the Nashville Predators, Hurricanes, Lightning, and New York Rangers. The Habs’ penalty kill allowed one goal on that trip, and surrendered just two from March 28 to the end of the season, a span of 11 games that carried an efficiency of 92.9% and raised the penalty kill nine positions to end the season 18th overall. It probably isn’t a coincidence that playing Lane Hutson more in those minutes during Alexandre Carrier’s injury absence led to better results. Hutson ended the season as Montreal’s top defenceman in plus/minus at +36, and was on the ice for a total of three power-play goals against in his PK minutes, with the lowest rate of high-danger chances against of any defenceman on the roster. It’s likely that Carrier will return to that role now that he’s healthy enough to return, but the team will have the data on Hutson’s short-handed time to keep him as an option. The Canadiens have put effort into taking the quarterback at the point away, finding success versus both Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders and Darren Raddysh of the Lightning by having a forward play them tightly high in the zone. Raddysh collected 26 of his 70 points on the power play this season, so limiting his powerful shot, as they did in the two games late in the season, will give a big boost to the Canadiens’ chances of advancing past the team that denied them a 25th Stanley Cup in 2021.

Where the Montreal Canadiens rank heading into the playoffs

Saturday Habs Headlines: Jakub Dobeš staying level-headed before Game 1 Montreal Canadiens news and notes * “Today is Friday, then it will be Saturday, and the game will be on Sunday,” Jakub Dobeš shared as he tries to keep himself calm for the opening game of the playoffs. [La Presse | Canadiens.com] * Nick Suzuki revealed the reason for his absence from practice on Thursday: the birth of his daughter the previous day. [TVA Sports] * Cole Caufield says as long as his overall game keeps improving, his goal totals will continue to rise. [The Athletic] * The Canadiens’ rivalries with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are ranked one-two in the NHLPA player poll. [La Presse] * Montreal gets an A grade for turning a wild-card position last year into a battle for the division this time around. [The Athletic] * Alexis Cournoyer will transfer to the University of Wisconsin for the 2026-27 season. [TVA Sports] Around the league and elsewhere * The chance to play a game 83 is what Corey Perry continues to play for. [La Presse] * Not everyone who does a management apprenticeship with a successful team goes on to have success on their own. [La Presse]

Saturday Habs Headlines: Jakub Dobeš staying level-headed before Game 1

Habs Vs Lightning - Round 1: Do The Bolts Smell Weakness In The Habs? | PuckTalk MTL LIVE!!! The Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens matchup is getting dangerous. In this PuckTalk MTL LIVE, Coach K breaks down whether the Lightning smell blood in the water, what it means for the Habs, and how this series could shift the Stanley Cup Playoffs conversation in a huge way. 🚨🥅🚨 Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/pucktalkmtl #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Habs Vs Lightning - Round 1: Do The Bolts Smell Weakness In The Habs? | PuckTalk MTL LIVE!!!

Yup. Putrid is a fine word.

Friday Habs Headlines: Unfazed underdogs Montreal Canadiens news and notes * “I expect us to play the best hockey we can play,” Martin St-Louis says. [Montreal Gazette] * The young Canadiens are steeled by last year’s playoff experience. [Sportsnet] * The Habs are also counting on Juraj Slafkovský to be a difference-maker. [TSN] * Brendan Gallagher has had a huge impact on the young Canadiens. [Montreal Gazette] * Alexandre Carrier’s potential return reinforces the blue line. [La Presse] * Can the playoffs kick-start Oliver Kapanen’s season? [La Presse] * Jake Evans says the team will defend as a pack. [Radio-Canada] * How a November loss quietly defined the Canadiens’ entire season. [The Athletic] * Habs players will be the voice of the Montreal Metro network for 2 stations during the playoffs. [CBC] * David Savard discusses David Reinbacher and Samuel Montembeault. [RDS] * Savard also sees a long playoff campaign for the Canadiens. [RDS] * The Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of a special playoff edition of its popular 50/50 raffle. [Montreal Canadiens] Playoff previews * Tampa Bay Lightning (ATL2) vs. Montreal Canadiens (ATL3) [Sportsnet | NHL.com | Daily Faceoff] * Carolina Hurricanes (MET1) vs. Ottawa Senators (WC2) [Sportsnet | The Athletic | Daily Faceoff] * Buffalo Sabres (ATL1) vs. Boston Bruins (WC1) [Sportsnet | The Athletic | Daily Faceoff] * Pittsburgh Penguins (MET2) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (MET3) [Sportsnet | The Athletic] * Vegas Golden Knights (PAC1) vs. Utah Mammoth (WC1) [Daily Faceoff] * Dallas Stars (CEN2) vs. Minnesota Wild (CEN3) [Daily Faceoff] Around the league and elsewhere * With a small gesture to a small fan, Dustin Wolf proves that small goalies can make a big impact. [Sportsnet] * Morgan Rielly knows his days in Toronto may be numbered, and it’s not the first time he’s thought like this. [Sportsnet] * Auston Matthews was noncommittal about his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs in his first time speaking with media since suffering a season-ending surgery. [CBC] * Re-examining Mike Gillis’ Vancouver Canucks legacy as his name is linked to the vacant Maple Leafs GM position. [The Athletic] * Sunny Mehta has been named general manager of the New Jersey Devils. [NHL.com | The Athletic | TSN] * “We suck.” How the New York Rangers face-planted to their worst NHL season in years. [The Athletic] * The race to sell Seattle hockey: Inside the Kraken’s 5-year struggle. [The Athletic] * NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft class. [The Athletic | NHL.com] * The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Rick Bowness to a contract extension. [Sportsnet] * The top problems facing each playoff-bound team. [ESPN] * How the PWHL sold out Madison Square Garden. [CBC] * Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell will play for Finland at the World Championships. [Jatkoaika (Finnish) | TSN]

Friday Habs Headlines: Unfazed underdogs

NHL announces schedule for Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning playoff series After the Buffalo Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division on Monday night, the only thing left to determine was where the first-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning would start. With Montreal’s loss on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay secured the second seed in the division, and gets to play the opening two games, and Game 7 if it reaches that point, at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. The NHL released the full schedule for the series, set to begin on Sunday. The first game at the Bell Centre in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be on Friday, April 24. 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 schedule: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 1: Sunday, April 19 @ 5:45 PM EDT (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa) Game 2: Tuesday, April 21 @ 7:00 PM EDT (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa) Game 3: Friday, April 24 @ 7:00 PM EDT (Bell Centre, Montreal) Game 4: Sunday, April 26 @ 7:00 PM EDT (Bell Centre, Montreal) Game 5: Wednesday, April 29 @ Time TBD (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa) Game 6: Friday, May 1 @ Time TBD (Bell Centre, Montreal) Game 7: Sunday, May 3 @ Time TBD (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa) Montreal won the season series versus the Lightning, going 2-1-1 to claim five points versus Tampa Bay’s 2-2-0 record worth four. The two teams finished the season tied with 106 points. The Lightning and Canadiens enter the playoffs ranked as the fifth and sixth teams, respectively, in the overall NHL standings. The full schedule for the eight opening-round series: SCHEDULE: 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 pic.twitter.com/Y4oFef22sK— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) April 17, 2026

NHL announces schedule for Montreal Canadiens-Tampa Bay Lightning playoff series

Dobes vs Fowler: Are the Canadiens About to Make a Huge Mistake? | PuckTalk MTL The Canadiens’ goalie debate is heating up, and the Tampa Bay Lightning matchup puts the spotlight directly on Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, and Montreal’s playoff crease plan. On this episode of PuckTalk MTL, Coach K breaks down whether the Canadiens are being patient, overthinking it, or setting themselves up for a massive development mistake. From roster timing to playoff-pressure expectations, this is a Habs goalie conversation fans should be debating hard. 🏒🚨 🚨🥅🚨 Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/pucktalkmtl #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Dobes vs Fowler: Are the Canadiens About to Make a Huge Mistake? | PuckTalk MTL

Thursday Habs Headlines: Brendan Gallagher hopes to suit up for Game 1 Montreal Canadiens news and notes * Brendan Gallagher came out with something to prove after sitting out for four games. [Journal de Montreal] * Taking a look at the potential Canadiens’ playoff roster. [NHL] * Five things to know about the Habs heading into the playoffs, from how they got there to their chances of going all the way. [CBC] * There’s no such thing as a sophmore slump for Lane Hutson. [TVA Sports] * Looking at the numbers ahead of the Canadiens meeting the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. [TSN] * Will we see Jacob Fowler during the Lightning showdown? [Journal de Montreal] * The Canadiens have serious fight in them and the playoffs are the playoffs so don’t be shocked if they beat the Lightning. [Montreal Gazette] * Habs fans are frustrated as free Canadiens watch-party tickets were scooped up by resellers. [Montreal Gazette] * Vinzenz Rohrer, who spent the season with the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League, has been reassigned to the Laval Rocket. [Canadiens] Around the league and elsewhere * Wrapping up every playoff team in two sentences. [Sportsnet] * Cory Schneider predicts more upset potential in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs begin. [NHL] * Making Nathan MacKinnon crack a smile may be difficult but it can be done. [CTV News] * Predictions for the Eastern Conference first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [TSN] * The latest edition of the NHL Draft rankings featuring the top 32 prospects. [Sportsnet] * Alexander Ovechkin gets pressure from fans chanting “One more year!” as the Washington Capitals wrapped up their season Tuesday night. [CBC] * Former Buffalo Sabres players are happy to see the team finally back in the playoffs. [TSN]  * Why the vast majority of teams don’t make their netminders available to media before games. [Global News]

Thursday Habs Headlines: Brendan Gallagher hopes to suit up for Game 1

Enemy Rival Nemesis The Canadiens Lightning War Is Back! | PuckTalk MTL Playoff Preview On the episode of PuckTalk MTL, Coach K breaks down why Canadiens vs. Lightning still feels personal, dangerous, and must-watch every time these teams collide. This episode dives into Montreal’s biggest pressure points against Tampa Bay, from pace and physicality to the matchup battles that can tilt this 7-game series. Expect bold Habs analysis, lineup debate, player spotlight talk, and a rivalry angle that should spark real conversation across the fanbase. 🚨🥅🚨 Please Click to Subscribe / Veuillez cliquer pour vous abonner: https://bit.ly/pucktalkmtl #Habs #GoHabsGo #NHL #Hockey #IceHockey #CH #HockeyVLog #GoBolts #PuckTalkMTL #StanleyCupPlayoffs In every episode, Kosta Papoulias takes a deep dive into the latest Montreal Canadiens news involving Ivan Demidov, Patrik Laine, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno, Jake Evans, Zach Bolduc, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Oliver Kapanen, Habs Defencemen, Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Sam Montembeault, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, Alex Carrier, Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler, Kent Hughes, Martin St Louis.

Enemy Rival Nemesis The Canadiens Lightning War Is Back! | PuckTalk MTL Playoff Preview