The Montreal Canadiens (1-1) face the Tampa Bay Lightning (1-1) in Game 3 on Friday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
With the series returning to Montreal, the Habs will have a great opportunity to regain home ice advantage with a little help from their friends at the Bell Centre. Of course, you have to win four games to win the series, but whenever an underdog manages to take a 2-1 lead in a first-round series, its chances of emerging victorious increase significantly.
And while some may get the impression that the Lightning have been the much better team in the first two games of the series, the numbers suggest a very interesting division.
The Lightning did a great job controlling shots, but the Canadiens dominated high-danger scoring opportunities by a score of 18-7 at 5v5.
If the Canadiens can continue to focus on hockey while ignoring the consistently slick hockey that Tampa Bay has to offer, they should be in good shape, all things considered.
They will also need their first line to wake up and start producing at 5v5, which will be facilitated by keeping Nick Suzuki and Co. away from Brandon Hagel's line.
As far as defensemen, the third pairing of Jaden Struble and Arbor Zekaj have provided excellent hockey in the playoffs, while the top four have struggled to find their rhythm. Reuniting Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson, while pairing Alexander Carrier with Caden Guhle, may be the best way forward for the Canadiens and Individuals, as they have shown they can put up encouraging statistics with recommended partners in the past.
As for Zekaj, he's excited to bring the fun back to Montreal, especially given the physical nature of the series.
"I'll be honest," he explained. "For physical guys like Anderson, Struble and me, the energy of the playoff crowd in Montreal is a big plus. I woke up this morning with a smile. The entire province has been locked down. It's going to be an incredible night!"
Arbor Xhekaj:
"I'll be honest. For physical guys like Anderson, Struble and me, the energy of the crowd in the playoffs in Montreal is a big plus. I woke up this morning with a smile. The whole province is on fire. It's going to be an incredible evening."
- Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) 24 April 2026
Possible Lineup Changes
Neither team will announce any major changes until puck drop, but the Canadiens had some relatively interesting news at practice.
Several players were missing, including Juraj Slafkowski, Alex Newhook and Josh Anderson.
Here it is! Playoff hockey at the Bell Center.
Not everyone is skating today – Newhook, Struble, Slafkovsky, Anderson, Dach are some of the names absent. #hubs pic.twitter.com/B3yChjTDd8
- Kenzie Lalonde (@KenzieTSN) 24 April 2026
Most are expected to play on Friday night, but there's a chance we could see a new face in the lineup, with Velano serving as Montreal's most likely back-up plan.
Patrik Laine is still listed as injured, and he won't be available for the Habs, but there's a chance we could see veteran Brendan Gallagher back in with a few changes. His aggressive style of play will fit well into this series, as long as he manages to keep his emotions in control when dealing with Lightning's constant provocations.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Coffield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkowski
Alexandre Texier - Alex Newhook - Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc-Oliver Kapanen-Kirby Dach
Jake Evans - Philip Danault - Josh Anderson
Mike Matheson - Alexander Carrier
Caden Guhle - Lane Hutson
Jaden Struble - Arbor Zekaj
jacob dobbs
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lineup
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Nikita Kucherov
Jake Guentzel - Brayden Point - Gage Goncalves
Zemgus Girgenson - Yanni Gourde - Nick Paul
Corey Perry - Oliver Bjorkstrand - Scott Sabourin
JJ Moser - Darren Raddish
Ryan McDonagh - Eric Cernak
Declan Carlyle - Emil Lilliberg
Andrei Vasilevsky
How to watch Hubs Vs. bolt
Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, April 24, 2026, will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. A quick recap with highlights will be available on SportsNote once the final whistle blows.
Additional NHL Playoff Analysis
