NHL Playoffs Live Blog: Canadiens And Lightning Play Do-Or-Die Game 7

This is it for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.

Either they win this Game 7 and earn the final spot in the second round of the NHL playoffs, or they get eliminated in crushing fashion.

The Canadiens and Lightning have traded wins all series long, with neither winning two in a row.

If Tampa Bay wants to win at home and book a series with the Buffalo Sabres, the team does need to follow up its Game 6 win with another victory in Game 7. But the Habs will want to keep this pattern going.

Follow along with us as we break down and react to what's happening in Sunday's Game 7.

Also be sure to stay tuned to The Hockey News' YouTube and social media channels. After the matchup, we're going live with Michael Traikos, Michael Augello and Frank Zawrazky to react to the game and series that were.

Let's get to it. Refresh this page for new updates.

Pregame Notes

Hey everyone. Adam Proteau here. I'll be your Game 7 Live Blog correspondent. Let's get right down to it, as there's now less than 30 minutes until puck drop:

Tampa Bay came into the series as the heavy favorite for many hockey observers, but the Habs have proven to be a worthy opponent. And yet, in an all-important Game 7, playoff experience could prove to be what pushes the Lightning past the Canadiens.

This is the first kick at the can for some of Montreal's players as far as Game 7s go. In fact, the Canadiens haven't played a Game 7 since the 2013-14 season. And as we all know, the Lightning have all kinds of playoff experience. So as per our first-round playoff predictions, we like the Bolts to win this Game 7 and take on the Buffalo Sabres in Round 2.

But what are your feelings on this game? Let us know in the comment section.

The Hockey News

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 4:42 PM.