MONTREAL – There are still some details to be ironed out, but the Canadiens now know their opponent for the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The matchup was confirmed following the Buffalo Sabres’ 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night. That victory locked in Buffalo as Atlantic Division champions, with the Canadiens and Lightning rounding out the top 3 in the division.
Home ice advantage for the Montreal-Tampa series is still in play, however, and will depend on the outcomes of the two teams’ final games on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The Canadiens would need to finish with more points in the standings to start the series at home, as the Lightning have the edge in the first tiebreaker, regulation wins.
This is the fifth postseason matchup between the two teams, notably setting up a first-round rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
Tampa holds a 3-1 advantage in playoff series over Montreal. The Canadiens’ only series win so far came in the 2014 Conference Quarterfinals, when they swept the Lightning and made it to the Eastern Conference Final.
The Canadiens won the 2025-26 season series against the Lightning, posting a 2-1-1 record in four games, although Tampa outscored Montreal 12-11 on the season.
Juraj Slafkovsky has led the way with seven points (4G, 3A) against the Lightning this season, with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Ivan Demidov all tied for second with four points apiece.
In goal, Jakub Dobes handled the bulk of the action against Tampa in 2025-26, putting up a 2-1-0 record, .928 save percentage, and 2.15 goals-against average in three contests.
Stay tuned to canadiens.com and Habs social media for info on the first-round schedule once home ice advantage is determined.
