MONTREAL — A first-round NHL playoff matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning is officially set after the Buffalo Sabres clinched first place in the Atlantic Division on Monday.
Home-ice advantage, however, remains undecided with one regular-season game left for both teams.
Tampa Bay (50-25-6) leapt into second place in the Atlantic on Monday after a 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings, moving ahead of Montreal (48-23-10) with both teams tied at 106 points. The Canadiens sit third, with the Lightning holding the regulation-wins tiebreaker.
Montreal closes its regular season Tuesday in Philadelphia, while Tampa Bay hosts the New York Rangers in its finale Wednesday. The playoffs begin Saturday.
The matchup marks a fifth playoff series between the two teams — and a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup final, won by the Lightning in five games.
Montreal went 2-1-1 in the head-to-head meetings this season, including a pair of heated wins over Tampa Bay in the past two weeks. The Canadiens won 4-1 in Tampa on March 31 before handing the Lightning a 2-1 loss last Thursday in a game that featured 126 penalty minutes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.
The Canadian Press