Gallagher Sparks Lightning Vs Canadiens 3-2 Win, Montreal Leads 3-2

Brendan Gallagher scored first and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in lightning vs canadiens Game 5 on Wednesday, taking a 3-2 series lead and moving one win from the second round. Montreal can finish it Friday night at the Bell Centre.

Gallagher Returns For Montreal

Gallagher was back in the lineup after sitting out the first four games and scored the opening goal in his 2026 playoff debut. After the game, he said, "I think that’s where you go," and added, "Especially this time of year."

Martin St. Louis said, "I thought he could give our team a jolt, a veteran who carries himself the way he’s been carrying himself recently," and added, "It’s not easy for a veteran to sit like that, with all the experience he has. It’s not easy for a coach to sit a veteran like that. But at this point, I thought that was the decision I had to make."

Texier And Dobeš Deliver

Kirby Dach also scored for Montreal, and Alexandre Texier finished the job with the game-winning goal. Jakub Dobeš made 38 saves to hold the Lightning to two goals and protect the lead through the third period.

The Canadiens still have a scoring problem deeper in the lineup. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský were held off the scoresheet at five-on-five for a fifth straight game, which leaves Montreal leaning on secondary finishers while its top two forward lines keep searching for a breakthrough.

Lightning Face Elimination

Tampa Bay answered with nearly identical second-period two-on-one breaks from Dominic James and Jake Guentzel. Guentzel has eight points in the series, while Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point have two goals between them.

Jon Cooper said, "Did I think we had our best game? We clearly did not. Is it really disappointing to come home and lose? It is." The Lightning now need a win Friday night in Montreal to force a Game 7, while the Canadiens get their first chance to close the series on home ice.