After splitting OT wins in Tampa, the scene shifts for Game 3 as the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Montreal Canadiens on Friday
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens head north of the border on Friday night for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The teams split overtime victories in the first two games of the series, with Tampa Bay snapping a four-game home-ice losing streak in the playoffs with its OT win on Tuesday night. The series playing out so evenly matched thus far hardly comes as a surprise. The Canadiens and Lightning finished with identical totals of 106 points, with Tampa Bay grabbing the second spot in the Atlantic Division on a tiebreaker, and the teams split four meetings during the regular season.
How to Watch Lightning vs Canadiens, Game 3, in NHL Today:
Game Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: The Spot (WXPX – Tampa Bay)
Location: Bell Centre
Live stream Lightning vs Canadiens Game 3 on Fubo: Start watching now!
J.J. Moser netted the Game 2 winner 12:48 into overtime to help Tampa Bay even the series on Tuesday night with a 3-2 victory. Nikita Kucherov tied the game at 2-2 with 7:27 remaining in regulation after Brandon Hagel opened the scoring 8:40 into the contest. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots for the Lightning.
The Canadiens took the lead late in the second period when Josh Anderson lit the lamp with 1:24 to go in the second period. Lane Hutson’s power-play marker at 16:11 of the first knotted the game and Jakub Dobes made 31 saves in the loss. Montreal remains the last Canadian-based team to win the Stanley Cup, hoisting it in 1993.
The Lightning are expected to get defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous back for Game 3 while captain Victor Hedman traveled with the team but is unlikely to return during the first round. Hagel scored three of Tampa Bay’s six goals in the first two games. Juraj Slafkovsky was kept off the stat sheet in Game 2 after opening the series with a hat trick that included the overtime winner in Game 1.
What Time Is Lightning vs Canadiens?
The Lightning vs Canadiens game takes place on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great NHL hockey action.
What Channel Is The Lightning vs Canadiens Game On?
Looking to watch this game? Fans in the Tampa area can tune into The Spot (WXPX – Tampa Bay) to catch the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.
Live stream the Lightning vs Canadiens game on Fubo: Start watching now!
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