Gallagher Set for Return in Game 5 Against Lightning Game

Brendan Gallagher is expected back for the Montreal Canadiens in the lightning game, and that gives them one lineup change worth watching as Game 5 arrives tied 2-2. The veteran forward last played on April 14 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Gallagher and the Canadiens

Gallagher, 33, had been used sparingly in recent weeks, but all signs pointed to him reentering the lineup on Wednesday at the expense of Oliver Kapanen. Kapanen took part in the optional skate Wednesday morning, a small clue that fit with the larger move.

Game 5 was scheduled for 7 pm ET on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Montreal and Tampa Bay entered the night level at two games apiece, so the roster tweak lands in a series with no margin for a slow start.

Montreal's first line

The Canadiens have not gotten a 5v5 goal from the line of Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki before Game 5. That drought is the sharpest marker of why Gallagher's return matters now: Montreal is not changing everything, just one forward who can change how the lines are arranged around its top unit.

Brandon Hagel had often matched up against Suzuki and company, which had limited the first line's offense. With Gallagher coming back, Montreal gets another forward available for a series that has already reached a 2-2 split and is now tilting toward whichever side can make the cleaner adjustment on Wednesday.

Wednesday at 7 pm ET

The game was scheduled to air on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. For the Canadiens, the practical change is simple: Gallagher is the only lineup piece worth monitoring, while Kapanen appears headed to the press box to make room.

That leaves Montreal with a clear choice in a tied series. If Gallagher gets through warmups and back into the lineup, the Canadiens will be asking one of their most established forwards to help shift a Game 5 that has already been shaped by a 2-2 deadlock and the search for a first 5v5 breakthrough from the top line.