Lightning Aim to Rekindle Playoff Magic Against Canadiens

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens renew their postseason rivalry in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 8:58pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens, with the players and action broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of blue, red, and white.The upcoming playoff clash between the Lightning and Canadiens promises to be a hard-fought, high-intensity battle between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams.Buffalo Today

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens are set to face off in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. The Habs and Bolts split their four-game regular season series, setting the stage for a tight playoff matchup. The Lightning are looking to recapture their championship form from 2020 and 2021, while the Canadiens aim to win their first playoff series since that 2021 run.

Why it matters

This series represents a clash between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams, with the winner moving on to the second round. The Lightning are seeking to reassert their dominance after a couple of early playoff exits, while the Canadiens hope to prove their young core is ready to lead them on a deep postseason run.

The details

The Canadiens and Lightning split their four-game regular season series, with Tampa Bay winning the first two matchups and Montreal taking the last two. The Habs are led by the dynamic duo of Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, while the Lightning will rely on the playoff experience of Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Goaltending could be the deciding factor, with Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy in net for Tampa Bay.

  • The Lightning and Canadiens will begin their first-round playoff series on April 15, 2026.
  • The series is scheduled to run through late April or early May, with a maximum of seven games.

The players

Cole Caufield

A rising star for the Montreal Canadiens, Caufield is coming off his first 50-goal season and will look to lead the Habs' offense in the playoffs.

Brayden Point

The Tampa Bay Lightning center was a key contributor to their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, and will aim to recapture that playoff magic against the Canadiens.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The Lightning's star goaltender and Vezina Trophy finalist, Vasilevskiy will be counted on to outperform his counterpart in net for the Canadiens.

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What they’re saying

“Cole Caufield has been leading the Canadiens offensively all year long, and that will keep up in the postseason.”

— Christopher Hennessy, Author

“Brayden Point will get back to his past self, scoring seven points in the series against the Canadiens.”

— Christopher Hennessy, Author

What’s next

The winner of the Lightning-Canadiens series will advance to face either the Buffalo Sabres or a surprise Wild Card team in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The takeaway

This first-round matchup between the Lightning and Canadiens promises to be a hard-fought and evenly matched series, with the goaltending battle between Vasilevskiy and the Canadiens' young netminder likely to be a key factor in determining the outcome.