Deadspin | Canadiens ready for home chance to eliminate Lightning in tight series 
Apr 29, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) makes a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period during game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens are aware of the opportunity before them as they prepare to host the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 6 of their Stanley Cup playoff series on Friday.
Thanks to a 3-2 victory Wednesday night in Tampa for a 3-2 edge in the Eastern Conference first-round meeting, the young Canadiens have the opportunity to knock out the Lightning in the best-of-seven series.
“It’s going to be loud and going to be fun,” defenseman Kaiden Guhle said Thursday. “We’ll use the crowd’s energy to our advantage, but we’ve got to stay even-keeled. … Just gotta keep playing our game, not get nervous, not do too much.”
Montreal finished tied in points (106) with Tampa Bay during the regular season, placing behind due to the tiebreaker. The Canadiens were considered an underdog in this series, however, because of the vast amount of playoff experience on the Lightning’s roster.
Instead of being overwhelmed, the Canadiens have shown plenty of fortitude.
“It was such a great opportunity to go against a team who probably set the standard the last 10 years,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. “We haven’t done anything yet, but it’s a challenge and still is a challenge. This is a veteran, talented group that is not going to go away easy, wasn’t going to give you anything for free.”
A huge key in Montreal’s edge has been goaltender Jakub Dobes, who has stood toe-to-toe against Tampa’s surefire hall-of-famer Andrei Vasilevskiy. Dobes stopped 38 shots in Wednesday’s win, 12 during the final three minutes while the Lightning pushed for the equalizer with an extra attacker.
“He’s a confident guy. He likes his big moments and wants his big moments” Guhle said. “You look at his first game last year, a shutout against the defending Stanley Cup champs. I think he lives for this. I think that’s what makes him so good.”
Although they trail the series, the Lightning have not exactly been outclassed. Through the five games, the Canadiens have scored a total of one more goal (14-13) and every result has been decided by a single tally.
Hurting Tampa Bay’s cause is the scoring struggles of stars Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, who each have tallied only once, and the middling goaltending from Vasilevskiy and his .880 save percentage.
From a team perspective, one statistic stands out: Montreal has opened the scoring in four of the five games.
“Our starts, we’ve had a tough time, especially at the end of the regular season,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose squad won the lone game it scored first. “It’s not the recipe to have to keep chasing the game.”
With that in mind, the Lightning can look to rely on their experience to help extend the series and bring it back home for a deciding seventh game. A team that has accomplished as much as the Lightning over the last decade has overcome plenty of adversity along the way.
“This is nine straight years (of) making the playoffs,” Cooper said. “If you had a team that didn’t believe, that streak wouldn’t be going on right now.”
And now is the opportunity for a roster filled with players who have won multiple Stanley Cup titles (back to back in 2020 and 2021) to show its mettle. Otherwise, it will be a fourth consecutive year of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
“I think everyone personally, when Game 6 is over, will learn a lot about themselves,” said Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel, who has scored six of his club’s 13 goals in the series. “This team will learn a lot about themselves. There’s not much more to say. You’ve just got to kind of leave it up to us.”
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Canadiens #ready #home #chance #eliminate #Lightning #tight #series
Apr 29, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) makes a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period during game five of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens are aware of the opportunity before them as they prepare to host the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 6 of their Stanley Cup playoff series on Friday.
Thanks to a 3-2 victory Wednesday night in Tampa for a 3-2 edge in the Eastern Conference first-round meeting, the young Canadiens have the opportunity to knock out the Lightning in the best-of-seven series.
“It’s going to be loud and going to be fun,” defenseman Kaiden Guhle said Thursday. “We’ll use the crowd’s energy to our advantage, but we’ve got to stay even-keeled. … Just gotta keep playing our game, not get nervous, not do too much.”
Montreal finished tied in points (106) with Tampa Bay during the regular season, placing behind due to the tiebreaker. The Canadiens were considered an underdog in this series, however, because of the vast amount of playoff experience on the Lightning’s roster.
Instead of being overwhelmed, the Canadiens have shown plenty of fortitude.
“It was such a great opportunity to go against a team who probably set the standard the last 10 years,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. “We haven’t done anything yet, but it’s a challenge and still is a challenge. This is a veteran, talented group that is not going to go away easy, wasn’t going to give you anything for free.”
A huge key in Montreal’s edge has been goaltender Jakub Dobes, who has stood toe-to-toe against Tampa’s surefire hall-of-famer Andrei Vasilevskiy. Dobes stopped 38 shots in Wednesday’s win, 12 during the final three minutes while the Lightning pushed for the equalizer with an extra attacker.
“He’s a confident guy. He likes his big moments and wants his big moments” Guhle said. “You look at his first game last year, a shutout against the defending Stanley Cup champs. I think he lives for this. I think that’s what makes him so good.”
Although they trail the series, the Lightning have not exactly been outclassed. Through the five games, the Canadiens have scored a total of one more goal (14-13) and every result has been decided by a single tally.
Hurting Tampa Bay’s cause is the scoring struggles of stars Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, who each have tallied only once, and the middling goaltending from Vasilevskiy and his .880 save percentage.
From a team perspective, one statistic stands out: Montreal has opened the scoring in four of the five games.
“Our starts, we’ve had a tough time, especially at the end of the regular season,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose squad won the lone game it scored first. “It’s not the recipe to have to keep chasing the game.”
With that in mind, the Lightning can look to rely on their experience to help extend the series and bring it back home for a deciding seventh game. A team that has accomplished as much as the Lightning over the last decade has overcome plenty of adversity along the way.
“This is nine straight years (of) making the playoffs,” Cooper said. “If you had a team that didn’t believe, that streak wouldn’t be going on right now.”
And now is the opportunity for a roster filled with players who have won multiple Stanley Cup titles (back to back in 2020 and 2021) to show its mettle. Otherwise, it will be a fourth consecutive year of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
“I think everyone personally, when Game 6 is over, will learn a lot about themselves,” said Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel, who has scored six of his club’s 13 goals in the series. “This team will learn a lot about themselves. There’s not much more to say. You’ve just got to kind of leave it up to us.”
–Field Level Media
![MLB trade rumors on Twins, Red Sox, Tarik Skubal, and more ahead of Monday’s deadline The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is just a few days away.And the rumors are heating up.The Deadline arrives at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, August 3, but we are already seeing some deals being made, including one between the surging Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals. Let’s take our first look at the MLB rumor mill as we get ready for this year’s MLB Trade Deadline.Marlins open to offers on “several” playersWhile the Miami Marlins finished seven games above .500 in the first half of the season, they lost the final three games before the All-Star Break, and with eight losses to open the second half, that 12 game losing streak has dropped the Marlins down the NL East standings. Wins the past few nights have moved them back above .500 on the year, but Miami could be creative sellers at the deadline.Or at least entertain offers on cost-controlled players over these next few days.Bats remain the major options. According to The Athletic the Marlins will at least “listen” to offers on controllable bats, including shortstop Otto Lopez, 2B Xavier Edwards, and OF Heriberto Hernández. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported on Tuesday that the Marlins are also open to trading C/OF/DH Liam Hicks, due in large part to the emergence of young catcher Joe Mack.Speaking of Mack, the rookie catcher is one of a few Marlins that are reportedly off limits, including pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Eury Pérez.The Minnesota Twins are one game above .500, with the MLB Trade Deadline fast approaching.But unlike the Marlins, who were 8.5 games out of first place in the division on Thursday morning, the Twins sit just three games out of first in the AL Central, and just 1.5 games behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians in both the division and the Wild Card chase.Given that, the Twins are officially buyers at the deadline, according to general manager Jeremy Zoll. In a story on The Athletic filed on Tuesday night, Zoll made the case for Minnesota, and highlighted an improved bullpen as a focus at the deadline.“All along, we were optimistic we were going to be in this spot to be able to add,” Zoll said. “We’re active on the phones and in touch across the board in trying to do everything we can to find ways to improve the team.”Zoll also indicated that the recent play from Minnesota — the Twins entered Wednesday on a three-game winning streak — made the decision easier.“We’re really excited about how the team has played over this last stretch,” Zoll said. “We’re really encouraged about that. In turn, we’re going to use this next stretch to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club and continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality.”Catching market heating upPitching is always a focus at the MLB Trade Deadline, and a potential deal involving Tarik Skubal is at the front of many shopping lists around the league.But catching has become a focus for several teams looking to bolster their playoff chances, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. According to the long-time MLB insider six teams — the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Rays, the White Sox, the Rangers, and the Dodgers — could be looking for help behind the plate.One problem, according to one source?There might not be enough good catchers to go around.“There are about a half-dozen teams looking for catching help,” one NL executive said to Feinsand. “There just aren’t a half-dozen catchers out there to trade for.”As noted in Feinsand’s report, the name most often mentioned is that of Ryan Jeffers, who is on an expiring contract. But as mentioned above, the Twins are looking to buy, not sell, at the deadline, which could complicate such a move. Other options include Hunter Goodman with the Colorado Rockies — but he is under club control for the next three years, which increases the asking price dramatically — and Adley Rutschman, although moving him from Baltimore would mean the Orioles would “concede” the AL Wild Card race, where Baltimore sits just 2.5 games off the pace.Then there is Liam Hicks, who the Marlins are reportedly open to trading given the emergence of Joe Mack. While he has four more years of club control, Mack’s development coupled with the growth of Triple-A catcher Agustín Ramirez makes moving Hicks easier for Miami.Boston looking for SS helpRed Sox fans were ready to write off the season back in June, after losing two-out-of-three to Colorado dropped Boston to 32-46, and 15.5 games out in the division.But a 15-game winning streak changed everything, and with a win Wednesday night against the Athletics, the Red Sox are now five games above .500, just seven back in the AL East, and if the playoffs were to begin today, Boston would be in as a Wild Card team.That rapid turnaround has seen the Red Sox emerge as buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline and they already made one move, acquiring infielder Curtis Mead in a deal with the Washington Nationals. But he was hit by a pitch in his Boston debut, and is headed to the IL with a broken wrist.Zach Neto is a popular name linked to Boston, but the Los Angeles Angels might be reluctant to move the 25-year-old infielder who is under team control for the next three-plus seasons. Other options include Houston’s Jeremy Peña, Miami’s Otto Lopez, and perhaps another deal with Washington for CJ Abrams.The latest on Tarik SkubalThe Detroit Tigers ace took the bump on Wednesday for his last start ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.Will it be his final start for the Tigers?Detroit is in a fascinating position. At the moment the Tigers are just 4.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, and having an ace like Skubal down the stretch could ease a playoff push.But with Skubal set to hit free agency — and expected to look for a contract in the $400 million range this offseason — the Tigers might look to get something in return for him now, rather than see him walk in free agency.It is a decision that could shape not just Detroit, but all of baseball, for the future.MLB.com put together a roundtable with Mark Feinsand, Tigers beat writer Jason Beck, and several other beat writers for teams that could put together an offer for the ace. According to Beck, Detroit would prioritize young arms in any such deal. “[The] Tigers will look for young pitching in pretty much any deal. They have good young arms in Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson and Ty Madden, but their farm system is thin on projectable starting pitchers,” wrote Beck.The most intriguing team, at least according to this writer, is Milwaukee. As noted by Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, while Milwaukee is one of those teams that “must stockpile prospects, especially position player prospects, in order to contend year after year” the Brewers are “very interested” in Skubal.Pairing Skubal with Jacob Misiorowski would give Milwaukee one heck of a one-two combination at the top of the rotation down the stretch, and into the playoffs.It is worth noting that Skubal notched his 1,000th career strikeout on Wednesday, so if it was indeed his last outing for the Tigers, he will go out in style. #MLB #trade #rumors #Twins #Red #Sox #Tarik #Skubal #ahead #Mondays #deadline](https://i0.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/gettyimages-2287531308.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.732984293194%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200&ssl=1 "MLB trade rumors on Twins, Red Sox, Tarik Skubal, and more ahead of Monday’s deadline The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is just a few days away.And the rumors are heating up.The Deadline arrives at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, August 3, but we are already seeing some deals being made, including one between the surging Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals. Let’s take our first look at the MLB rumor mill as we get ready for this year’s MLB Trade Deadline.Marlins open to offers on “several” playersWhile the Miami Marlins finished seven games above .500 in the first half of the season, they lost the final three games before the All-Star Break, and with eight losses to open the second half, that 12 game losing streak has dropped the Marlins down the NL East standings. Wins the past few nights have moved them back above .500 on the year, but Miami could be creative sellers at the deadline.Or at least entertain offers on cost-controlled players over these next few days.Bats remain the major options. According to The Athletic the Marlins will at least “listen” to offers on controllable bats, including shortstop Otto Lopez, 2B Xavier Edwards, and OF Heriberto Hernández. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported on Tuesday that the Marlins are also open to trading C/OF/DH Liam Hicks, due in large part to the emergence of young catcher Joe Mack.Speaking of Mack, the rookie catcher is one of a few Marlins that are reportedly off limits, including pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Eury Pérez.The Minnesota Twins are one game above .500, with the MLB Trade Deadline fast approaching.But unlike the Marlins, who were 8.5 games out of first place in the division on Thursday morning, the Twins sit just three games out of first in the AL Central, and just 1.5 games behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians in both the division and the Wild Card chase.Given that, the Twins are officially buyers at the deadline, according to general manager Jeremy Zoll. In a story on The Athletic filed on Tuesday night, Zoll made the case for Minnesota, and highlighted an improved bullpen as a focus at the deadline.“All along, we were optimistic we were going to be in this spot to be able to add,” Zoll said. “We’re active on the phones and in touch across the board in trying to do everything we can to find ways to improve the team.”Zoll also indicated that the recent play from Minnesota — the Twins entered Wednesday on a three-game winning streak — made the decision easier.“We’re really excited about how the team has played over this last stretch,” Zoll said. “We’re really encouraged about that. In turn, we’re going to use this next stretch to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club and continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality.”Catching market heating upPitching is always a focus at the MLB Trade Deadline, and a potential deal involving Tarik Skubal is at the front of many shopping lists around the league.But catching has become a focus for several teams looking to bolster their playoff chances, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. According to the long-time MLB insider six teams — the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Rays, the White Sox, the Rangers, and the Dodgers — could be looking for help behind the plate.One problem, according to one source?There might not be enough good catchers to go around.“There are about a half-dozen teams looking for catching help,” one NL executive said to Feinsand. “There just aren’t a half-dozen catchers out there to trade for.”As noted in Feinsand’s report, the name most often mentioned is that of Ryan Jeffers, who is on an expiring contract. But as mentioned above, the Twins are looking to buy, not sell, at the deadline, which could complicate such a move. Other options include Hunter Goodman with the Colorado Rockies — but he is under club control for the next three years, which increases the asking price dramatically — and Adley Rutschman, although moving him from Baltimore would mean the Orioles would “concede” the AL Wild Card race, where Baltimore sits just 2.5 games off the pace.Then there is Liam Hicks, who the Marlins are reportedly open to trading given the emergence of Joe Mack. While he has four more years of club control, Mack’s development coupled with the growth of Triple-A catcher Agustín Ramirez makes moving Hicks easier for Miami.Boston looking for SS helpRed Sox fans were ready to write off the season back in June, after losing two-out-of-three to Colorado dropped Boston to 32-46, and 15.5 games out in the division.But a 15-game winning streak changed everything, and with a win Wednesday night against the Athletics, the Red Sox are now five games above .500, just seven back in the AL East, and if the playoffs were to begin today, Boston would be in as a Wild Card team.That rapid turnaround has seen the Red Sox emerge as buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline and they already made one move, acquiring infielder Curtis Mead in a deal with the Washington Nationals. But he was hit by a pitch in his Boston debut, and is headed to the IL with a broken wrist.Zach Neto is a popular name linked to Boston, but the Los Angeles Angels might be reluctant to move the 25-year-old infielder who is under team control for the next three-plus seasons. Other options include Houston’s Jeremy Peña, Miami’s Otto Lopez, and perhaps another deal with Washington for CJ Abrams.The latest on Tarik SkubalThe Detroit Tigers ace took the bump on Wednesday for his last start ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.Will it be his final start for the Tigers?Detroit is in a fascinating position. At the moment the Tigers are just 4.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, and having an ace like Skubal down the stretch could ease a playoff push.But with Skubal set to hit free agency — and expected to look for a contract in the $400 million range this offseason — the Tigers might look to get something in return for him now, rather than see him walk in free agency.It is a decision that could shape not just Detroit, but all of baseball, for the future.MLB.com put together a roundtable with Mark Feinsand, Tigers beat writer Jason Beck, and several other beat writers for teams that could put together an offer for the ace. According to Beck, Detroit would prioritize young arms in any such deal. “[The] Tigers will look for young pitching in pretty much any deal. They have good young arms in Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson and Ty Madden, but their farm system is thin on projectable starting pitchers,” wrote Beck.The most intriguing team, at least according to this writer, is Milwaukee. As noted by Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, while Milwaukee is one of those teams that “must stockpile prospects, especially position player prospects, in order to contend year after year” the Brewers are “very interested” in Skubal.Pairing Skubal with Jacob Misiorowski would give Milwaukee one heck of a one-two combination at the top of the rotation down the stretch, and into the playoffs.It is worth noting that Skubal notched his 1,000th career strikeout on Wednesday, so if it was indeed his last outing for the Tigers, he will go out in style. #MLB #trade #rumors #Twins #Red #Sox #Tarik #Skubal #ahead #Mondays #deadline")
Post Comment