Montreal at Tampa: A short history of NHL Playoff game sevens

Montreal Canadiens fans watch their team on a video screen outside the Bell Centre take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL playoff hockey action in Montreal on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press)

After an epic Game 6, which followed five straight epic one-goal contests, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning fans are preparing for what can only be a... what’s another word?, whatever, epic Game 7 on Sunday night.

Anything less would be a huge disappointment.

• READ MORE: Goncalves hero for Tampa Bay as Bolts beat Habs in 1-0 overtime thriller

Both teams are riding streaks of two-straight game seven wins and looking to make it a sweet three in three.

Game seven history

Those looking for a historical precedent may have trouble finding anything conclusive.

The NHL started the best-of-seven format in 1939, and there have been 193 game sevens. Eighty-one of those have been won by the road team.

The Habs have played in 24 game sevens, according to the site Statmuse, and won 15 of them.

As in Sunday’s game, Montreal was the road team for 13 game sevens and have won seven of those.

The Habs have won their previous two deciding games on the road in Toronto against the Maple Leafs in 2021 (3-1 win), and at the Boston Bruins in 2014 (again, 3-1).

Since the turn of the century, the Canadiens have played in seven game sevens. All but one of those have been on the road, and the Habs have won six, including two in 2010 during that epic Habs run:

• 2004: 2-1 win at Boston
• 2008: 5-0 win at Boston
• 2010: 2-1 win at Washington
• 2010: 5-2 win at Pittsburgh
• 2011: 4-3 loss at Boston
• 2014: 3-1 win at Boston
• 2021: 3-1 win at Toronto

The Bolts have been in 10 game sevens and won seven. All of those games have been since 2004.

The much younger team from Tampa (founded in 1992) won its previous two game sevens against Toronto in 2022 (2-1) and the New York Islanders in 2021 (1-0).

Tampa won two game sevens in 2004, 2011 and 2015, including in the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 against the Calgary Flames.

Here is how the Bolts record looks:

• 2004: 2-1 win versus Philly
• 2004: 2-1 win versus Calgary
• 2011: 1-0 win at Pittsburgh
• 2011: 1-0 loss at Boston
• 2015: 2-0 win versus Detroit
• 2015: 2-0 win at New York Rangers
• 2016: 2-1 loss at Pittsburgh
• 2018: 4-0 loss versus Washington
• 2021: 1-0 win versus New York Islanders
• 2022: 2-1 win at Toronto

Fun fact: Toronto has lost seven straight playoff game sevens.

Montreal and Tampa have never faced off in a game seven.

Razor’s edge

Anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention to the series knows one thing: this series is tight.

Consider the following stats:

• The score has been tied or within one goal for 98.5 per cent of the playing time (379:45 of 385:22).
• The score has been tied for 66 per cent of the time.
• Goals: 14-14
• Even strength goals: 9-9
• Every game has been decided by one goal; four in overtime.
• Overtime wins: two a piece.
• Goalies: Jakub Dobes (.916 save percentage, 2.10 GAA), Andrei Vasilevskiy (.905 SV%, 2.20 GAA)

Game starts at 6 p.m.

Remember to breathe.