Brendan Gallagher Opens Game 5, Canadiens Win — Score Canadien Ce Soir

Brendan Gallagher scored the first goal of Game 5 on Wednesday night, and score canadien ce soir starts with a return that paid off immediately for the Canadiens. His goal gave Montreal the opening strike in a game it needed, and the club now heads to the Centre Bell with a chance to eliminate Tampa Bay.

Gallagher Starts Fast

Gallagher returned to the Canadiens lineup for the fifth game against the Lightning and made his mark in front of the net, where he created chaos before finishing the play. The puck went in on his first goal of the game, and Montreal took the early edge it was looking for against an experienced opponent.

After the goal, Gallagher said, "J’ai pensé à ma mère." He was also applauded by several teammates when he got back to the locker room, a small reaction that fit the size of the moment for a player who had been forced to watch from the press gallery late in the season and at the start of the series.

Centre Bell Awaits

The win matters because the Canadiens can eliminate the Lightning in the sixth game, which will be played at the Centre Bell. That shifts the pressure onto Tampa Bay after it had already rebounded with a victory following a loss in the series.

Gallagher’s return also carried added weight because he had spent part of the season in a tougher spot, with several young players pushing for ice time. He answered that squeeze by stepping back into the lineup and scoring first in the most important game of the series so far.

Montreal does not need a long list of what-ifs now. It has one more home game, one chance to finish the job, and the same forward who opened Game 5 has already shown he can change the tone of the series in a single shift.