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The Montreal Canadiens will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday at 5:45 pm ET. The Canadiens are underdogs but have shown strength in shot control during previous matchups.
Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game One of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday, with the puck drop scheduled for 5:45 pm ET.
The Habs should be considered the underdogs, though it’s important to remember that they were the better team at controlling the shots whenever these two met. To ensure some semblance of stability, the Canadiens will once again rely on the top line of Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Cole Caufield to drive the offence, while trying to avoid Tampa Bay’s top shutdown line.
Special teams are expected to play a crucial role in the first round, and not only because it’s a short series. The Canadiens are a top-10 team with the man-advantage, while the Lightning are dominant whenever they’re on the penalty kill. The organization that manages to break through could end up securing a significant advantage.
The earlier start time could also present a challenge for Montreal, a team that generally requires some sort of adversity before responding. That can fly during the regular season, but not in the playoffs, especially versus a veteran club such as the Lightning.
The Canadiens vs. Lightning Game 1 playoff match is scheduled for 5:45 pm ET on Sunday.
Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Cole Caufield are the key players for the Canadiens driving the offense.
The Canadiens are a top-10 team on the power play, while the Lightning excel at penalty killing, making special teams crucial in this matchup.

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It appears that Brendan Gallagher, David Reinbacher, Samuel Montembeault, Jacob Fowler, Adam Engstrom, And Joe Veleno will miss Sunday’s game as healthy scratches, though Fowler is expected to serve as Jakub Dobes’ backup.
If there are any additional lineup notes available, we will modify the projected lineups prior to puck drop.
Mike Matheson – Alexander Carrier
Jakub Dobes
Charle Edouard D’Astous – Emil Lilleberg
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday, April 19, 2026, will be aired on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
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