The Tampa Bay Lightning head to Montreal on Friday night facing elimination, while the Canadiens return home with a chance to finish off one of the East’s most experienced playoff teams in a tense Game 6 showdown.

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Apr 29, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (21) battle for the puck in the first period during game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

How to Watch Lightning vs Canadiens

When: Friday, May 1, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM ET

TV Channel: ESPN2

Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)

Montreal leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 after a 3-2 road win in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Alexandre Texier scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, while Jakub Dobes turned aside 38 shots to help the Canadiens survive a heavy late push from Tampa Bay. Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal, continuing a trend of secondary scorers stepping up in a series where every game has been decided by one goal. Bell Centre should be electric as the Canadiens try to win their first playoff series since 2021.

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Tampa Bay still has the star power to force a Game 7, but it needs a sharper start after falling behind early in Game 5. Brandon Hagel has been one of the Lightning’s best performers this round with six goals, while Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel continue to drive offense for a veteran core that knows how to handle pressure.

The Lightning have split Games 3 and 4 in Montreal already, so they know they can win in this building, but another slow opening period could end their season. Expect playoff-level urgency from the opening puck drop.

This is a great NHL matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

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