Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens (3-3) will face the Tampa Bay Lightning (3-3) in Game 7 on Sunday, with the puck drop scheduled for 6 pm ET.
As has been the case all series long, the teams delivered a tightly contested matchup in Game 6, with the Lightning emerging victorious 1-0 in overtime. It was the fifth game that required extra time, underscoring how difficult goals have been to come by.
In fact, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal’s best forwards, are yet to score a goal at 5v5 versus the Lightning, one of the biggest issues facing the Habs heading into 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’s been able to depend on his depth forwards to provide much-needed secondary and tertiary offence, with players such as Alex Texier, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook driving the charge.
It’s also worth noting that veteran Brendan Gallagher has done great things from an underlying numbers standpoint, despite the lack of ice time. While Gallagher has been on the ice, the Canadiens have controlled over 70 percent of the shots, far and away the best result among all skaters.
Brendan Gallagher says, “wouldn’t be an easy game to watch.”
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) May 3, 2026
He’s made for Game 7 and excited to play.
Potential Lineup Changes
It remains to be seen whether veteran Noah Dobson will be in uniform for the Canadiens, though his presence would be a significant boon for a team that has had a hard time defending the Lighting off the rush.
Tampa Bay held a 22-7 advantage in high-danger chances during Game 6, erasing Montreal’s considerable series lead in the process.
At the very least, with Dobson in the mix, rookie netminder Jakub Dobes should be exposed to fewer odd-man rushes.
As of 11:20 am ET, Dobson is considered a game-time decision.
Noah Dobson taking warmup, and St. Louis is confident he’ll give the Canadiens what they need if he can play.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) May 3, 2026
Gametime decision
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier – Kirby Dach – Zachary Bolduc
Ivan Demidov – Phillip Danault – Josh Anderson
Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Alexander Carrier
Kaiden Guhle – Lane Hutson
Jayden Struble – Arber Xhekaj
Jakub Dobes
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 Girgensons – Connor Geekie – Corey Perry
J.J. Moser – Darren Raddysh
Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak
Max Crozier – Emil Lilleberg
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Bolts
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday, May 3, 2026, will be aired on CBC, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
Additional NHL Playoff Analysis
- Canadiens vs. Lightning – Playoff Primer – Head-to-Head at 5v5
- Canadiens Vs. Lightning – Special Teams
- Canadiens vs. Lightning – X Factors
