Tampa Bay Lightning at Montréal Canadiens
NHL game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montréal Canadiens on Apr 26, 2026. Final score: Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Montréal Canadiens 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Apr 26, 2026 |
| Venue | Centre Bell |
| Series | R1 Game 4: TBL 2-2 MTL |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 3 |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 0 | 3 | 25:34 | 1.30 | 2.27 |
| 2nd | Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 2 | 3 | 22:57 | 0.29 | 1.98 |
| 3rd | Jake Guentzel | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:40 | 1.00 | 1.87 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Tampa Bay Lightning–Montréal Canadiens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 10:06 | MTL | Zachary Bolduc | Kaiden Guhle, Alexandre Texier | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 13:29 | MTL | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson | 5v4 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 19:06 | TBL | Jake Guentzel | J.J. Moser, Darren Raddysh | 4v4 | 1–2 |
| 3rd 01:40 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel | 4v5 | 2–2 |
| 3rd 15:07 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Nikita Kucherov, J.J. Moser | 5v5 | 3–2 |
Team Comparison
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Montréal Canadiens | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 20 | 18 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.60 | 2.67 |
| High-danger shots | 20 | 9 |
| Corsi % | 53.9% | 46.1% |
| Power play | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Faceoff % | 35.1% | 64.9% |
| Hits | 28 | 50 |
| Blocks | 15 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 4 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 8 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 25:34 | 1.30 | 2.27 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 22:57 | 0.29 | 1.98 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 22:40 | 1.00 | 1.87 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 19:33 | 0.05 | 1.73 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 25:18 | 0.23 | 1.24 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19:57 | 0.74 | 0.76 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:58 | 0.00 | 0.57 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:22 | 0.01 | 0.44 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:46 | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11:54 | 0.11 | 0.00 |
| Corey Perry | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8:50 | 0.75 | -0.01 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:46 | 0.04 | -0.03 |
| Emil Lilleberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:43 | 0.00 | -0.07 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:33 | 0.01 | -0.09 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:37 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Dominic James | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:25 | 0.00 | -0.28 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:18 | 0.00 | -0.35 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:44 | 0.00 | -0.37 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiden Guhle | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:48 | 0.02 | 1.07 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 22:23 | 0.72 | 1.07 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:18 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:24 | 0.00 | 0.93 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19:03 | 0.47 | 0.87 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26:15 | 0.10 | 0.69 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:29 | 0.18 | 0.55 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11:53 | 0.37 | 0.55 |
| Alex Newhook | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:47 | 0.00 | 0.29 |
| Jake Evans | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:49 | 0.00 | 0.27 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7:32 | 0.03 | 0.14 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12:44 | 0.00 | 0.12 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:18 | 0.00 | 0.12 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:02 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:46 | 0.44 | 0.00 |
| Kirby Dach | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:51 | 0.09 | -0.38 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:08 | 0.15 | -0.85 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21:24 | 0.06 | -1.03 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | 16 | 18 | 88.9% | 0.67 | W |
| Jakub Dobes | Montréal Canadiens | 17 | 20 | 85.0% | 1.20 | L |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montréal Canadiens 3–2 on Apr 26, 2026, a one-goal game.
Montréal Canadiens generated 2.67 expected goals to Tampa Bay Lightning's 4.6 — Tampa Bay Lightning edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Brandon Hagel led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.27 on 2 goals, 3 shots on goal.
Jakub Dobes stopped 17 of 20, worth 1.2 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montréal Canadiens game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montréal Canadiens 3–2 on Apr 26, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Montréal Canadiens 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Brandon Hagel led all skaters at 2.27, on 2G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Montréal Canadiens generated 2.67 expected goals and Tampa Bay Lightning generated 4.6, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Tampa Bay Lightning put 20 shots on goal and Montréal Canadiens put 18. High-danger chances went 20 to 9.