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Anderson scored a goal Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Two playoff games. Two playoff goals. Anderson is the epitome of a playoff warrior. His goal put the Habs up 2-1 at 18:36 of the second period. Anderson will be feeling sore Wednesday after being jumped from behind by Brandon Hagel in the first and being run over by Scott Sabourin late in the third. Anderson was skating backwards in front of the benches when Sabourin hammered him blind from behind. Anderson was down for a few minutes before skating off the ice under his own power. He will have an extra day to work out the kinks -- the Habs and Bolts next face-off Friday.
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Canadiens' Lane Hutson: First career NHL playoff goal
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Hutson scored a power-play goal Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime to the Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
It was his first career NHL playoff goal, but it won't be the talented defender's last. Hutson scored with a one-timer from the point that somehow went through traffic and under Andrei Vasilevskiy's blocker arm. Hutson has a goal, assist and eight shots, including six Tuesday, in two postseason games.
Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Continues to impress in playoffs
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Dobes made 31 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Tuesday.
Dobes has been excellent in the blue paint for Montreal, which returns to home ice for Game 3 on Friday. He made several 10-bell saves Tuesday, including a couple biggies in overtime. Dobes came into the postseason 5-0-0 with a 1.57 GAA and .955 save percentage in his final five regular-season starts. We're not jumping on the bandwagon yet, but the Canadiens do have a history of leaning on rookie netminders to win Cups. Ken Dryden won the Cup in 1971, and Patrick Roy won it in 1986.
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Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Between pipes Tuesday
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Dobes will defend the road net in Game 2 against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Dobes is coming off a 20-save performance in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1. He posted a 2-1-0 record against Tampa Bay during the 2025-26 regular season while stopping 64 of 69 shots.
Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier: Nabs assist in return
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Carrier logged an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1.
Carrier missed nine games to close out the regular season, but he's ready to roll in the playoffs. He'll get a top-four role right out of the gate this postseason, but expect the defenseman's minutes to decline once Noah Dobson (upper body) returns. Carrier had 22 points over 73 regular-season outings, and in prior playoff runs, he's collected 10 points over 21 appearances.
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Canadiens' Nick Suzuki: Two power-play helpers in Game 1
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Suzuki picked up two power-play assists Sunday in a 4-3 overtime victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Suzuki struggled to find space and time 5-on-5 under the oppressive weight of Anthony Cirelli's shutdown checking, even if the former dominated him at the dot (15-for-21; 71.4 percent). But Suzuki found a way to deliver on the power play. He's considered the frontrunner for the 2026 Selke Trophy, so he'll be matched against the Bolts' top line -- like Cirelli was attached to him -- when the Habs get the last change at home in Games 3 and 4.
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Canadiens' Cole Caufield: Two assists in Game 1 overtime win
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Caufield delivered two power-play assists in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Caufield had two shots, two hits and one block, and he spent most of the 5-on-5 play under the wet blanket of Anthony Cirelli's line. Expect the Bolts to continue to try to smother Caufield and his linemates, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, but the NHL's second-best regular-season sniper (51 goals) will likely find a way to tickle the twine soon enough.
Canadiens' Josh Anderson: Goal and controversial hit in win
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Anderson had one goal, four hits and four PIM in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Anderson also appeared to have a second goal at the mid-point of the second period, but it was overturned after video review determined he hit the puck above the crossbar. He had just 23 points (14 goals) in 72 regular-season games this season, including only two goals and an assist in his last 21 games, but Anderson is built for playoff hockey. He will have a bullseye on his back for a massive hit on Charle-Edouard D'Astous (undisclosed), who was helped off the ice and didn't return.
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Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Aggressive in Game 1 win
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Dobes made 20 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday.
Dobes was confident and aggressive all night, and he definitely outplayed superstar opponent, Andrei Vasilevskiy. It was Dobes' second career NHL playoff win, and two of the three goals against him came on Lightning power plays. He had to be sharp Saturday, especially with Montreal struggling 5-on-5. This is Dobes' net, and he will need to be sharp Tuesday when the Bolts try to avenge their Game 1 loss.
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Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky: Noteworthy hat trick
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Slafkovsky scored three power-play goals, including the overtime winner, in a 4-3 win over the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round.
Slafkovsky is the third player in Canadiens postseason history to score a hat trick that included the overtime winner. The others? Eric Desjardins in 1993 and Gerry Plamondon all the way back in 1949. The Habs have been in existence for 117 seasons, including 109 in the NHL. Slafkovsky was utterly dominant -- he had seven of the Habs' 20 shots on the night and was composed no matter what was happening on the ice. He has taken his game to a whole new level this season. Slafkovsky delivered his first 30-goal regular season, set a career mark in points (73) and finished fourth overall in scoring at the 2026 Winter Olympics for Team Slovakia. This could be the ascendence of another superstar.
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Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Game 1 starter
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Dobes will get the start in net Sunday for Game 1 against the Lightning, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Dobes will get the nod for the postseason opener over 21-year-old rookie Jacob Fowler and veteran Sam Montembeault. The 24-year-old Dobes finished the regular season with a 29-10-4 record, a 2.78 GAA and a .901 save percentage while leading Montreal's netminders with 43 games played. He enters the postseason in a bit of a slump, having allowed at least three goals in four of his last five starts. Dobes will have his hands full with the Lightning, who ranked fourth in the NHL at 3.49 goals per game in the regular season.
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Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier: Ready to rock
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Carrier (upper body) will play against Tampa Bay on Sunday in Game 1, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports.
Following a nine-game absence to close out the regular season, Carrier will return to a top-pairing role in Sunday's lineup against the Lightning. He generated seven goals, 22 points, 56 shots on net and 155 blocked shots across 73 appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.
Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier: Returns to practice Friday
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Carrier (upper body) participated in Friday's practice session on the second defensive pairing, Marc Antoine Godin of Radio-Canada reports.
Carrier has been sidelined since late March due to his upper-body injury, and he was initially expected to miss 2-4 weeks. He's reached the short range of that threshold, and his participation in Friday's practice signals that he could return to action for the start of postseason play. However, the Canadiens haven't yet revealed his status for Sunday's Game 1 against the Lightning.
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