Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction & Picks - NHL
USA - NHL
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by Taavi Pailk | in NHL Picks
The Montreal Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round on Friday night at Bell Centre.
The series moves to Montreal with the teams tied at one. Both sides picked up overtime wins in Tampa, and these likely won’t be the only games extending past regulation in this series.
After Juraj Slafkovsky stole the spotlight in Game 1 with a hat trick in a 4-3 win, Game 2 was all about Brandon Hagel. He recorded the first Gordie Howe hat trick in Lightning playoff history. Hagel dropped Slafkovsky in a fight while scoring the opening goal and assisting Nikita Kucherov on a game-tying goal in the third period.
Meanwhile, in the background, Jake Guentzel has had a superb start to the series, racking up four assists. He is tied with Hagel for the most points in the matchup and could play a key role again in Friday’s contest.
The Canadiens defense must first deal with the threat of Kucherov and Hagel, leaving space in the offensive zone for Guentzel. He’s taken his game to a new level as a playmaker this season, and gets a chance to show it again on Friday night.
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Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Form
Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning Latest Matches
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Montreal Canadiens against Tampa Bay Lightning : Head to Head (H2H)
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Players list
J. Dobes
J. Fowler
K. Guhle
J. Struble
L. Hutson
A. Xhekaj
M. Matheson
A. Carrier
C. Caufield
A. Newhook
K. Dach
J. Evans
J. Slafkovsky
Z. Bolduc
O. Kapanen
A. Texier
N. Suzuki
P. Danault
J. Anderson
I. Demidov
J. Johansson
A. Vasilevskiy
J. Moser
D. Carlile
E. Lilleberg
R. McDonagh
E. Cernak
D. Raddysh
C. Perry
G. Goncalves
D. James
Y. Gourde
Z. Girgensons
N. Kucherov
B. Hagel
J. Guentzel
N. Paul
S. Sabourin
A. Cirelli
B. Point
Most goals and assists
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
C. Caufield
(57 Goals)
N. Suzuki
(84 Assists)
Montreal Canadiens - Tampa Bay Lightning Key Points
- Guentzel is tied for the most assists in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with four.
- During the regular season, Guentzel had a career-high 50 assists.
- Since the start of April, Guentzel has recorded at least one assist in six of nine appearances.
- Guentzel finished the regular season with 22 power-play assists and faces a team that currently has killed just 75 percent of penalties in the playoffs.
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Our Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction
These teams have plenty of firepower, and the series has already seen six power-play goals. Guentzel picked up nearly half of his 50 assists during the regular season with the man advantage (22). He shines when there is extra ice to work with.
The 31-year-old has a great playoff pedigree and has once again elevated his game when it matters the most. Guentzel has averaged one assist per game across his last seven postseason outings, recording 77 total points (41 goals, 36 assists) across 76 career appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Our prediction for Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: J. Guentzel to record 1+ assists.
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