NHL announces schedule for Canadiens-Lightning playoff series
After the Buffalo Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division on Monday night, the only thing left to determine was where the first-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning would start. With Montreal’s loss on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay secured the second seed in the division, and gets to play the opening two games, and Game 7 if it reaches that point, at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
The NHL released the full schedule for the series, set to begin on Sunday. The first game at the Bell Centre in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be on Friday, April 24.
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Round 1 schedule: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
Game 1: Sunday, April 19 @ 5:45 PM EDT (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa)
Game 2: Tuesday, April 21 @ 7:00 PM EDT (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa)
Game 3: Friday, April 24 @ 7:00 PM EDT (Bell Centre, Montreal)
Game 4: Sunday, April 26 @ 7:00 PM EDT (Bell Centre, Montreal)
Game 5: Wednesday, April 29 @ Time TBD (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa)
Game 6: Friday, May 1 @ Time TBD (Bell Centre, Montreal)
Game 7: Sunday, May 3 @ Time TBD (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa)
Montreal won the season series versus the Lightning, going 2-1-1 to claim five points versus Tampa Bay’s 2-2-0 record worth four. The two teams finished the season tied with 106 points. The Lightning and Canadiens enter the playoffs ranked as the fifth and sixth teams, respectively, in the overall NHL standings.
The full schedule for the eight opening-round series:
SCHEDULE: 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 pic.twitter.com/Y4oFef22sK
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) April 17, 2026
