Canadiens, Lightning to settle series in Game 7 - BERITAJA

MONTREAL – Four overtimes. Six one-goal games. A azygous two-goal lead — lasting conscionable 5:37 — successful 360 minutes of hockey.

It’s only correct that the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to Game 7 successful a first-round bid defined by razor-thin margins.

“It’s truthful even, from the typical teams to the goaltending to the everything,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “That’s really you get Game 7s. To triumph this, I mean, you’re going to person a typical crippled from your team, and I’m assuming that the squad that wins is about apt going to get 1 much break than the different one.”

The 2 sides will determine Sunday successful Tampa, Fla., who advances to look the Buffalo Sabres successful the 2nd information aft the Lightning staved disconnected elimination Friday pinch an epic 1-0 overtime triumph successful Game 6 astatine the Bell Centre.

Gage Goncalves scored the victor 9:03 into overtime, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves successful a spectacular goaltending duel pinch Jakub Dobes.

The Canadiens missed a chance to clinch a bid successful beforehand of a full-capacity location crowd — thing they haven’t done since 2014 — and to beforehand past the first information for the first clip since their 2021 tally to the Stanley Cup final.

As disappointing arsenic it was, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis framed the nonaccomplishment and upcoming Game 7 arsenic an opportunity for his inexperienced group — the youngest squad successful the playoffs — to grow.

Only six players stay from that surprising, pandemic-era tally that ended pinch a nonaccomplishment successful 5 games to the Lightning.

“It’s meant to be, it’s destiny for our young team,” St. Louis said. “A batch of players haven’t taken portion successful a Game 7, I deliberation that’s portion of our way and you person to clasp the moment. It’s about getting backmost up and let’s go.

“You can’t bargain these reps for illustration this. These guys are getting unbelievable reps correct now and it’s nosy to watch. I support telling them I sewage the champion spot successful the house.”

Canadiens skipper Nick Suzuki said post-game the team’s mentality was to “stay positive.”

“We were the amended squad for beautiful overmuch about of that game, and conscionable didn’t score,” he said. “Thought Vasilevsky benignant of won them that game, truthful I thought everyone played a awesome game, conscionable didn’t get the result.

“Ready to spell down to Tampa and triumph Game 7.”

The Canadiens person already won doubly successful Tampa, defeating the Lightning successful Games 1 and 5 successful this see-saw series. Montreal besides posted a 24-9-8 grounds connected the roadworthy this season, second-best successful the NHL down only the Colorado Avalanche.

The knowledgeable Lightning, meanwhile, are trying to debar a 4th consecutive first-round exit, a tally that has featured its stock of heartbreak connected location ice.

The connection retired of their room pursuing the affectional Game 6 win? Job’s not finished.

“I’m judge guys were pumped, but we haven’t won thing yet,” Cooper said. “All we did was triumph a crippled to nonstop america backmost to Tampa and support our play alive.

“You don’t want to rainfall connected the parade because what a hellhole of a triumph by the guys, but we haven’t accomplished thing yet.”

This is only the sixth NHL playoff bid to person each of the first six games decided by 1 goal. If caller history is immoderate indicator, it mightiness go conscionable the 3rd to widen that streak to 7 connected Sunday.

“It’s been unreal to beryllium honest, evidently we some had 106 points coming successful this series. They’re a really bully lucky squad complete there, we’re a really awesome lucky squad here,” Lightning guardant Brandon Hagel said. “I don’t deliberation we expected thing other different than what’s been going connected here.

“It’s going to travel down to 1 crippled and I’m excited.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published May 2, 2026.