Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction & Picks - NHL
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by Taavi Pailk | in NHL Picks
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens clash in Game 7 on Sunday at Benchmark International Arena.
These teams have been very evenly matched, with four games going to overtime, and it’s only fitting that a Game 7 is needed to separate the sides.
From Tampa’s point of view, this has been Brandon Hagel’s series. He became only the third player in franchise history to score in each of the first four games of a postseason campaign. Montreal has found a way to tame him in the last two games, but the 27-year-old could still have something left in his sleeve.
The Lightning can throw a lot of attacking talent at Montreal, and they will be roared on by the home crowd in Game 7. The Canadiens defense must also worry about the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel, which will give Hagel extra room to operate on the ice.
Tampa Bay could also have Victor Hedman back in the lineup on Sunday. Prior to Friday’s Game 6, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Hedman will be an option “really soon” for the team. The Lightning captain has been among the NHL’s best defensemen for several years, and his puck-moving ability would also boost the Lightning’s offense.
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Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens Form
Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens Latest Matches
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Tampa Bay Lightning against Montreal Canadiens : Head to Head (H2H)
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Players list
J. Johansson
A. Vasilevskiy
J. Moser
C. D'Astous
E. Lilleberg
D. Raddysh
R. McDonagh
E. Cernak
C. Perry
D. James
G. Goncalves
Z. Girgensons
N. Kucherov
Y. Gourde
B. Hagel
J. Guentzel
N. Paul
A. Cirelli
B. Point
O. Bjorkstrand
J. Fowler
J. Dobes
J. Struble
N. Dobson
K. Guhle
L. Hutson
A. Carrier
M. Matheson
C. Caufield
A. Newhook
K. Dach
J. Evans
A. Texier
Z. Bolduc
J. Slafkovsky
N. Suzuki
P. Danault
J. Anderson
B. Gallagher
I. Demidov
Most goals and assists
Tampa Bay Lightning
Montreal Canadiens
C. Caufield
(57 Goals)
N. Suzuki
(84 Assists)
Tampa Bay Lightning - Montreal Canadiens Key Points
- During the 2026-26 regular season, Brandon Hagel scored a career-high 36 goals.
- Dating back to the regular season, Brandon Hagel has scored in seven of his last 11 appearances.
- Brandon Hagel is tied for the league lead in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with six goals.
- Two of Brandon Hagel’s goals in the 2026 postseason have come on the power play, and the Canadiens are allowing 4.3 power-play opportunities per game.
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Our Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction
Hagel is having a superb series and will be heavily involved in the offense again. The puck constantly seems to find him in the right areas, and he will likely get heavy usage on Sunday, with his team desperate to win its first playoff series in four years.
Since the Olympic break, Hagel has drawn blanks in three consecutive outings just twice, making Montreal's task of keeping him off the scoreboard very challenging.
Our prediction for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens: B. Hagel to score anytime.
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