Canadiens Preview: Potential First Round Playoff Rehearsal
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens (46-22-10) will face the Tampa Bay Lightning (48-24-6) on Thursday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET. It’s a battle of two teams aiming to finish first in the Atlantic Division, though it should be noted the Buffalo Sabres are currently the top team, with 104 points. Both the Habs and the Lightning have 102 points, but with fewer regulation wins than the Sabres, which is the first standings tiebreaker.
Regardless of the details, it’s fair to say Thursday’s match-up will be very important beyond the divisional standings. If the 2026 NHL Playoffs got underway today, the Canadiens would face the Lightning in the first round, seeing as they’re currently the second and third-placed teams in the Atlantic Division. In other words, even though both teams have already qualified for the playoffs, and the final games in the regular season can lead to a downtick in effort and passion, we’re expecting the Lightning and the Canadiens to come out swinging on Thursday night.
To add to the intensity mix, this is the second time the teams will face each other in a little over a week. The Habs emerged with a 4-1 win versus the Lighting on March 31. Lineup Changes Joe Veleno is expected to return to the lineup, taking Zachary Bolduc’s spot on the third line.
The starting goalie has not been announced, but all signs point to Jakub Dobes serving as Montreal’s netminder versus the Lightning. Dobes has won six straight games, with his last loss occurring on March 19, against the Detroit Red Wings. It should be noted that Dobes now has a save percentage above .
900, which is rather difficult to do when suiting up for the Habs. Despite their improved results this season, the Canadiens still allow their opponents to take a bevy of high-danger chances every game, a situation they’ll need to address before the playoffs get going in roughly two weeks. As for Kaiden Guhle, he did skate at practice, but the Canadiens are holding their cards close to their chest down the final stretch of the regular season, which means we’ll have to wait for the pregame warm-up to confirm whether Guhle will be in uniform.