avatar
Updated:
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens
Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night, with the winner set to emerge with a very important 2-1 series lead.

As per tradition, the Canadiens got things rolling with a fantastic ceremony, featuring team legend Yvan Cournoyer. Not that they needed much help, but thanks to the Roadrunner, the Bell Centre faithful quickly created a fantastic atmosphere in yet another intense matchup.

It was yet another evenly-matched game, which saw the Canadiens secure a series lead thanks to an overtime goal by phenom Lane Hutson.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Secondary Scoring

Frenchman Alexandre Texier established an early lead for the Canadiens, capitalizing on a smart play that featured great assists by Zachary Bolduc and Kirby Dach.

The goal was just Montreal’s third marker at 5v5 in this series, with the first two belonging to fourth-line winger Josh Anderson.

Considering the first line has struggled to generate any semblance of sustainable offence, receiving production from the bottom-six is a significant boon for the Habs.

Responding To Adversity

Even though the Canadiens controlled the majority of the quality scoring chances at 5v5, a recurring theme in this series, the Lightning would go on to erase their lead, and quickly establish one of their own.

It was the type of situation that could deflate many teams, but the Habs tend to be at their best when they’re responding to adversity, as evidenced by Kirby Dach’s first goal of the series.

It wasn’t pretty, but it quickly put the home team back in the mix, with the momentum returning to Montreal’s corner. Additionally, it was yet another goal from the bottom six, exactly what the doctor ordered for a team with a goal-starved top line.

To give you a better idea of the first line’s state of mind, Cole Caufield, who scored 51 goals in the regular season, completely whiffed on his breakaway opportunity in the third period.

You Hate To See It

With all due respect to Nikita Kucherov, who is clearly one of the most talented players in the league, it’s beyond easy to root for his demise.

His constant shenanigans are one thing, but when you combine his elite-level shithousery with the fact that he has the personality of a frozen bag of carrots, it’s quite evident why he’s also among the least affable players in the league.

On a completely unrelated note that is clearly void of any pettiness on my part, enjoy this attempt at a hit by Kucherov.

Deciding Goal

Shockingly, or not, the game required overtime, marking the third consecutive time these teams failed to find a winner in regulation.

All that matters in these scenarios is the eventual game winner, but it must be mentioned that the Canadiens were the better team at 5v5, as they outchanced and outshot the Lightning by a wider margin than the previous two games.

Montreal’s strong effort was rewarded in overtime, where Hutson scored his second goal of the playoffs to give his team a well-deserved 2-1 series lead.

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Sunday, facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the first-round series. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5, unless otherwise noted. Via Natural Stat Trick.

avatar
By Marc Dumont
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont

Tap Here To Add Sportsnaut As A Trusted Source on GoogleTap Here To Add Sportsnaut As A Trusted Source on Google

Got a story or tip for us?

Email Us

Sportsnaut: News, analysis, and rankings across every major sport. Where fans come first.

Follow us for breaking news and latest updates at Sportsnaut

Writer Opportunities Privacy Policy
© 2026 Sportsnaut