Lightning claim home ice in first-round series with Montreal

The Lightning will have home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff series against Montreal.

The Canadiens (48-23-10) lost their final regular-season game Tuesday in Philadelphia, 4-2, which sealed second place in the Atlantic Division for the Lightning (50-25-6). Tampa Bay closes out the regular season Wednesday against the Rangers at Benchmark International Arena.

The league is not expected to announce its first-round schedule until Thursday, but the first playoff games are scheduled to begin Saturday. However, there is a concert scheduled for that night at Benchmark International Arena.

Montreal finished the season with 106 points, the same total the Lightning have going into their final game. But the Lightning own the first tiebreak, which is regulation wins.

The Lightning and Canadiens have met four times in the playoffs, with Tampa Bay winning three of those series, including the 2021 Stanley Cup Final in a regionally structured playoff format due to COVID. The Lightning won that series in five games.

Tampa Bay beat Montreal on its way to its first Cup title in 2004, sweeping the Canadiens in the second round. The Lightning also beat Montreal in the six games in the second round on their way to the Cup final.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 9:52 PM.