Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper did not hold back when discussing his team's performance in Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens.

Not much has separated the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens through two games of their first round series. The Canadiens won Game 1 thanks to a Juraj

The Lightning have a wide advantage in terms of shot attempts (100 to 66) and shots on goal (42 to 27) at 5-on-5, but the Habs are generating more high-danger scoring chances (18 to 7), and are a buzzsaw in transition.

SportsLine's model reveals its Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning picks for their 2026 Stanley Cup playoff first-round Game 3 matchup

The Tampa Bay Lightning make the trip north to face the Montreal Canadiens Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round NHL Playoffs series. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET with TV coverage on TNT and streaming on-demand.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens head into Friday’s Game 3 of their first-round playoff series tied 1–1 after trading overtime wins in the opening two games, setting up a pivotal swing matchup in Montreal.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper had a trio of injury updates ahead of Game 3 of their series against the Montreal Canadiens.