How to Watch Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens: 2026 NHL Playoff Schedule & Streaming Guide
It’s the Lightning vs. Canadiens in the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs! View the full schedule and learn how to stream every game on ESPN and TNT with Sling TV.
The Tampa Bay Lightning face the Montreal Canadiens in the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Games on ESPN/ESPN2 and TNT/TBS are available with a subscription to a 1, 3, or 7 Day Pass, or a monthly subscription to Sling Orange. Here’s everything you need to know.
Use the link below to stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Sling Orange.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens First Round Schedule
Sling Orange
Sling Blue
1, 3, & 7 Day Pass
Sling Orange
Sling Essentials
1, 3, & 7 Day Pass
Sling Orange
Sling Blue
1, 3, & 7 Day Pass
Sling Orange
Sling Essentials
1, 3, & 7 Day Pass
*If necessary
How to Watch Tampa Bay vs. Montreal with Sling
First Round games will air on ESPN/ESPN2 and TNT/TBS, so you can watch games on any of those networks by subscribing to Sling Orange. You can also watch games on those channels with a 1, 3, or 7 Day Pass subscription.
To watch First Round games between the Lightning and Canadiens on ESPN/ESPN2 and TNT/TBS with Sling, use the link below to subscribe to Sling Orange!
Lightning vs. Canadiens Preview, Odds and Players to Watch
https://youtu.be/E5EkjF9LtN8?si=S2swyvZynjUd9mUs
The Tampa Bay Lightning secured home-ice advantage against the Montreal Canadiens via a regulation wins tiebreaker after both teams finished with 106 points. Montreal won the season series 2-1-1, but the Lightning hold a massive edge in playoff pedigree, having defeated the Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay relies on prolific, veteran scoring, while Montreal aims to use its young stars and the league's seventh-best offense to outpace the veteran Bolts.
Odds: Tampa Bay is a -250 favorite to win the series (somewhat surprising given their tied points at the end of the regular season), with the Canadiens at +205, according to DraftKings. Tampa Bay is listed at +500 to win the Cup (second-best in the East), while Montreal is a +3500 underdog.
Players to Watch
- Nikita Kucherov (RW - TBL): Racked up an incredible 130 points (44G, 86A) and the future Hall of Famer remains an unstoppable force in the postseason.
- Cole Caufield (RW - MTL): Recorded a career-high 51 goals, including 40 at even strength, providing lethal finishing for the Canadiens.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (G - TBL): Led the NHL with 39 wins and brings 120 games of playoff experience with a .918 career postseason save percentage.
Series Prediction: Lightning in 6.
Follow this link for more information on how to watch the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Sling.