Early Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning began their first-round playoff series at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa Bay.
Both teams finished the regular season with 106 points. They split their season series, each winning two games.
The game started at 5:45 PM EDT. As of midday, Josh Anderson scored the first goal at 13:24 of the first period.
Montreal’s projected starter is Jakub Dobes. He has been sharp, notably stopping Erik Cernak in a critical moment early on.
However, details remain unconfirmed regarding his overall performance as the game progresses.
Noah Dobson is sidelined due to injury for the Canadiens. Similarly, Victor Hedman will not play for the Lightning.
The Canadiens had an impressive road record of 24-9-8 this season. They ranked second in the league, scoring an average of 3.50 goals per game on the road.
They entered these playoffs with momentum, having achieved an eight-game win streak from March 21 to April 4.
Andrei Vasilevskiy had a solid regular season with a goals-against average of 2.31. His performance will be crucial for Tampa Bay as they look to respond after falling behind early.
Montreal didn’t limp into the playoffs—they earned their way in. The two Atlantic Division rivals could not be more even, setting the stage for a thrilling series ahead.
Stay tuned for updates and highlights throughout this critical matchup.