Canadiens Preview: Once More Battle, Dobson Gametime Decision

Eric Bolte-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens (3-3) will face the Tampa Bay Lightning (3-3) in Game 7 on Sunday, with the puck drop scheduled for 6 pm ET. As has been the case all series long, the teams delivered a tightly contested matchup in Game 6, with the Lightning emerging victorious 1-0 in overtime. It was the fifth game that required extra time, underscoring how difficult goals have been to come by.

In fact, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal’s best forwards, are yet to score a goal at 5v5 versus the Lightning, one of the biggest issues facing the Habs heading into the final game of the series. Simply put, the Canadiens need their star players to shine in Game 7 . The good news for head coach Martin St-Louis is that he’s been able to depend on his depth forwards to provide much-needed secondary and tertiary offence , with players such as Alex Texier, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook driving the charge.

It’s also worth noting that veteran Brendan Gallagher has done great things from an underlying numbers standpoint, despite the lack of ice time. While Gallagher has been on the ice, the Canadiens have controlled over 70 percent of the shots, far and away the best result among all skaters. Brendan Gallagher says, “wouldn’t be an easy game to watch.

” He’s made for Game 7 and excited to play. — Eric Engels (@EricEngels) May 3, 2026 Potential Lineup Changes It remains to be seen whether veteran Noah Dobson will be in uniform for the Canadiens, though his presence would be a significant boon for a team that has had a hard time defending the Lighting off the rush. Tampa Bay held a 22-7 advantage in high-danger chances during Game 6, erasing Montreal’s considerable series lead in the process.