Lightning and Canadiens tied 2-2 heading to 3rd straight overtime game

Montreal Canadiens fans cheer on their team as they take to the ice ahead of their NHL playoff hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Montreal, Friday, April 24, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

MONTREAL (AP) — Lane Hutson scored on a slap shot at 2:09 of overtime and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series that has opened with three extra-time thrillers.

“That honestly might have been my first slap shot all year,” Hutson said.

Hutson fired a shot from the top of right circle that went through traffic and found the top left corner behind goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the only shot on goal in overtime.

“Didn’t think he could shoot it that hard,” Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said. “Huge play for us.”

Kirby Dach tied it for Montreal with 7:17 left in the second period. He fired a snap shot through traffic from the top of the right circle that beat Vasilevskiy on the short side.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Montreal. The Canadiens took the opener 4-3 on Sunday and the Lightning countered 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Dach assisted on Alexandre Texier's opening goal at 4:53 of the first period. Jakub Dobes stopped 15 shots,

Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay, and Vasilevskiy made 26 saves. In the third, Vasilevskiy stymied Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson on breakaways.

Point tied it on a power play at 7:42 of the first. After Dobes was penalized for tripping Yanni Gourde, Point took Jake Guentzel’s centering pass and ripped a shot past Dobes’ blocker from the high slot.

Hagel gave Tampa Bay the lead at 4:47 of the second with his fourth goal of the series. After a Montreal turnover at its own the blue line, Hagel beat Dobes with a snap shot to the short side from the top of the left circle.

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