Lightning Look to Bounce Back Against Canadiens

Tampa Bay aims to end two-game skid as they face off against Atlantic Division rival Montreal.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 12:18am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, with sharp, overlapping planes of blue, red, and white capturing the intensity and energy of the matchup.Two of the NHL's top teams clash in a crucial divisional matchup, with the Lightning and Canadiens battling for playoff positioning.Today in Tampa

The Tampa Bay Lightning have hit a rough patch, dropping their last two games against divisional opponents. Now they head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens, who are tied with the Lightning in the standings at 102 points. This matchup features a clash between two of the league's top offensive talents in Nikita Kucherov and Nick Suzuki, and the outcome could come down to which team plays the more physical and disciplined brand of hockey.

Why it matters

The Lightning are fighting to maintain their position atop the Atlantic Division, while the Canadiens are looking to gain ground. This game could have major implications for the playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference.

The details

The Lightning have struggled recently, losing to the Sabres and Senators on their current road trip. However, they have had success against the Canadiens this season, winning 6-1 on the road and 5-4 in a shootout at home. In their most recent matchup, the Canadiens scored a late shorthanded empty-net goal to make it 3-1. Both teams feature deep rosters and star players, so this game could come down to which team executes better on the defensive end.

  • The Lightning and Canadiens will face off on April 9, 2026.
  • The Lightning have two games remaining on their current road trip before returning home.

The players

Nikita Kucherov

A star forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kucherov has 43 goals and 84 assists this season.

Nick Suzuki

The Canadiens' top center, Suzuki has 28 goals and 68 assists on the year.

Jon Cooper

The head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has emphasized the need for his team to play a more disciplined brand of hockey.

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What they’re saying

“You can't really ever use injuries as an excuse. I don't know what man-games lost we have this year, but it's got to be up there in this league. We've had to deal with it all year. This is a little different because we had to bring three American League guys just to play in this game, and I thought they did great for us. Ultimately though, It's a 1-1 game in the third and we've got a chance to get points out of this game...We're a playoff team, we're just not playing like one right now and we only have a couple of games here to figure it out and see where we land. But we need to be better than we are right now.”

— Jon Cooper, Head Coach, Tampa Bay Lightning

What’s next

The Lightning and Canadiens will face off on April 9, 2026 in a crucial Atlantic Division matchup. The outcome of this game could have major implications for the playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference.

The takeaway

The Lightning have the talent to bounce back from their recent struggles, but they will need to play a more disciplined and physical brand of hockey to come out on top against the Canadiens. This matchup between two of the league's top teams should be an exciting one for hockey fans.