The Montreal Canadiens (3-3) face the Tampa Bay Lightning (3-3) in Game 7 on Sunday, with puck drop scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
As has been the case throughout the series, the teams faced off in Game 6, with the Lightning emerging victorious 1–0 in overtime. This was the fifth game to require extra time, which shows how difficult the goal was to achieve.
In fact, Montreal’s best forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski have yet to score a goal at 5v5 against the Lightning, which is one of the biggest problems facing the Habs in the final game of the series.
Simply put, the Canadiens need their star players to shine in Game 7.
The good news for head coach Martin St-Louis is that he is able to rely on his depth with players like Alex Texier, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook to provide much-needed secondary and tertiary offense.
It’s also worth noting that veteran Brendan Gallagher has done great things from an underlying numbers standpoint, despite his lack of ice time. While Gallagher was on the ice, the Canadiens controlled over 70 percent of the shots, the best result among all skaters.
“It’s not going to be an easy game to watch,” says Brendan Gallagher.
He is ready for Game 7 and excited to play.– Eric Engels (@EricEngels) 3 May 2026
Possible Lineup Changes
It remains to be seen whether veteran Noah Dobson will be in uniform for the Canadiens, although his presence would be a significant boon for a team that has had difficulty defending the Lightning from the crowd.
Tampa Bay held a 22–7 advantage in high-danger opportunities during Game 6, erasing much of Montreal’s series lead in the process.
At the very least, with Dobson in the mix, rookie netminder Jacob Dobbs should be exposed to less of a weird man rush.
As of 11:20 a.m. ET, Dobson is considered a game-time decision.
Noah Dobson is warming up, and St. Louis is confident he’ll give the Canadiens what they need if he can play.
game time decisions– Eric Engels (@EricEngels) 3 May 2026
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Coffield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkowski
Alexandre Texier – Kirby Dach – Zachary Bolduc
Ivan Demidov – Philippe Danault – Josh Anderson
Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Alexander Carrier
Caden Guhle – Lane Hutson
Jaden Struble – Arbor Zekaj
jacob dobbs
jacob fowler
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lineup
Brandon Hagel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Yanni Gourde – Anthony Cirelli – Jake Guentzel
Gage Goncalves – Dominic James – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Zemgus Girgenson – Connor Geecki – Corey Perry
JJ Moser – Darren Raddish
Ryan McDonagh – Eric Cernak
Max Crozier – Emil Lilleberg
Andrei Vasilevsky
jonas johansson
How to watch Hubs Vs. bolt
Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, May 3, 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
#Battle #Time #Dobson #Gametime #Decision
