Overview
- The series opens Sunday at 5:45 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena with national TV on TNT and truTV in the U.S. and on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada, with streaming on HBO Max.
- Montreal projects rookie Jakub Dobeš to start in net against Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, based on team lineup reports and game threads.
- Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson is out for at least the first week, and Lightning blueliner Victor Hedman remains on long‑term injured reserve and is not expected back soon.
- Special teams loom large as Montreal brings a top‑10 power play into a matchup with Tampa Bay’s elite penalty kill.
- Both clubs finished with 106 points, Montreal surged late as Tampa cooled, and the opener frames the playoffs’ youngest lineup against a veteran core with recent first‑round exits.