TAMPA – The Canadiens are headed back to Montreal with a 3-2 series lead after defeating the Lightning 3-2 in Game 5 at Benchmark International Arena on Wednesday night.
The game featured goals early and late in each of the periods and goals scored in quick succession.
Brendan Gallagher returned to the lineup for his first postseason action of 2026 and made it count before long, burying Alex Newhook’s rebound at the 3:00 mark of the game to give the Habs the early lead.
In a tight, back-and-forth contest typical of this first-round Tampa Bay-Montreal series, the teams traded leads in the second. Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier each scored their second goals of the playoffs, while Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki each earned an assist on the night to increase their team lead in postseason points to five apiece.
Jakub Dobes turned aside 38 shots against the Lightning.
For more stats, check out the NHL’s Gamecenter summary here.
Roster
