The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on April 24, 2026, with Game 3 of their NHL Playoffs First Round series set for 7 p.m. ET on TNT. The series is tied 1-1, and both teams arrive with the weight of a pivotal night in Montreal.
Tampa Bay is 50-26-6, while Montreal is 48-24-10, records that show how evenly matched this first-round series has been through two games. A watch guide for the matchup also lists Charle-Edouard D’Astous as day-to-day with an undisclosed issue, a note that adds an injury question heading into puck drop.
That makes this a defining game for both clubs. The Lightning are trying to take control on the road, and the Canadiens have home ice at Bell Centre as they look to tilt the series in their favor before it shifts again.
The tension comes from how little separates them and how much is left to decide. One game can turn a tied series into a lead that changes the tone of the round, and the next result will tell which side leaves Montreal with the upper hand.
For now, the standings, the split series and the injury note all point to the same conclusion: Game 3 carries the kind of pressure that can shape the rest of the matchup.
