TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens are headed for a final, high-stakes collision.
After Gage Goncalves silenced the Montreal crowd with a sudden-death goal on Friday night, the NHL has officially set the stage for the deciding Game 7. The puck will drop at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3, at Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena.
Fans in the U.S. can catch the action on TNT, truTV, and HBO MAX, while Canadian viewers can tune in via Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports.
This isn’t just another game—it’s a historical rarity. This series marks only the sixth time in NHL history that every one of the first six games was decided by a single goal.
To get here, the Lightning had to survive a grueling 1-0 overtime win in Montreal, keeping their season alive on the back of a 30-save masterpiece by Andrei Vasilevskiy.
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Vasilevskiy’s performance was one for the ages, as he became the first active goaltender to record two career shutouts when facing elimination. He held the line until Goncalves ended the stalemate at 9:03 of the first overtime, assisted by Dominic James and Brandon Hagel.
The Stakes for Sunday
The Lightning enter Sunday with history on their side. Tampa Bay holds the highest winning percentage in Game 7 history for any franchise with more than five appearances. They are 7-3 overall in these do-or-die moments and an impressive 4-1 when playing them on home ice.
However, the Canadiens are no strangers to the pressure. This will be Montreal’s 25th all-time Game 7. A win on Sunday would allow the Canadiens to tie the Boston Bruins for the most Game 7 victories in NHL history (16) and extend their own record for the most Game 7 wins earned on the road.
While the hockey world focuses on Tampa, the NHL also announced that the Second Round will begin immediately following the Lightning-Canadiens clash. The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche will kick off their series at 9 p.m. ET in Denver.
For the Bolts, the mission is simple: defend home ice and complete the comeback. For the Canadiens, it’s a chance to reclaim the series and move one step closer to the Cup.
One thing is certain: in a series where no team has led by more than a goal at any final buzzer, Sunday night is guaranteed to be a thriller.
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