Benjamin Pierce

It’s the type of game every hockey player wants to take part in: a Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 7 on home ice. Now the @TBLightning will aim to seize the moment as the #GoBolts  take on Montreal at 6 p.m. “This is what we all dream about” STORY: nhl.com/lightning/news…

Cooper's thoughts on this year's team: "I have zero complaints about any team I've ever coached for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but this team was different. It was different. They deserve better than what has happened to them, and it's too bad, because how hard they worked and committed and just did everything we asked...They just went out wearing their heart on their sleeve and gave everything they possibly could, and we just came up short. But it says a lot about the team and a lot of the players who are here." #GoBolts

#GoBolts Ryan McDonagh on how tight the play and series was: "It's the way the game is. Every team nowadays is so good in their structure, has attention to detail and good habits. It's about execution. It's about commitment and willingness and all those X-Factor things. And a bounce here or there, too, you need that for sure. It's tough to put into words here, the way the this result ended up."

Hagel: "You sit back here, obviously you're upset. It sucks, but like, there's not much more you can do. You give up zero shots in the second period, three shots in the third period, and you lose a hockey game. Like, you can't look at one guy in the room and say you didn't do your thing, Yeah, I guess we didn't score more goals, obviously. It's a tough feeling. But that's the reality of hockey. It's game 7. You lose, you're out." #GoBolts

Hagel on the first round exit: "It sucks. You don't get any younger, that's for sure. Listen, I've got one goal on my mind every single year...I just want to win. Yeah, it sucks." #GoBolts

Hagel: "You have about 30 shots and you give up nine. I don't know if that's ever been done before in a game 7, win a game on nine shots. But that's not the point. I mean, you lose three home games, it's gonna be tough to win a series." #GoBolts

#GoBolts Anthony Cirelli: "I thought that was probably our best game of the series. Their goalie played well, we got a lot of looks at it. It was disappointing."

Cooper on both goals allowed being tough bounces against the #GoBolts: "That doesn't help, I'll tell you that. That's when you're at the end of the game and you're just sitting there saying, 'The hockey gods have been in my corner many, many times, and tonight they're in the other corner.' That's what happens...This isn't, it's not the movies. It's not something where you can retake it and get the scene right. It's live theater right there in front of you, and you never know what's gonna happen. That's why it's unbelievable to be a part of something like this, but it damn well stings when you're on the wrong side of it."

#GoBolts Coach Cooper: “I thought tonight we played our best game of the series. Sometimes you win the game but not the score. When it’s Game 7, there’s no moral victories in that.”

FINAL: Montreal 2, #GoBolts 1 The 2025-26 Lightning season has come to a close. Not the ending the Lightning wanted in what was an unbelievably tight series.

Penalty on Montreal with 6.3 seconds left, it's a 6-on-4 look for the closing seconds here

Timeout Tampa Bay with 15.3 seconds to play

6-on-5

2:12 remaining as the #GoBolts seek the tying goal

Newhook bats the puck out of midair towards the net from the goal line, it caroms in to make it 2-1 Montreal with 8:53 to play in regulation

Zemgus Girgensons with the warrior shift of the season. Huge.

Goncalves good look at the left hashmark, that trio continues to buzz here #GoBolts

The Tampa Bay Lightning just became the first team in NHL history to hold their opponent without a shot on goal for an entire period of a Game 7. Montreal had never been held without a shot on goal in any playoff period in their team's history before tonight. #GoBolts

Third period of a 1-1 Game 7, here we go. #GoBolts

Power Play James‼️

Dominic James is the first rookie in @TBLightning history to score a goal in a Game 7. He holds a 3-game point streak. Only Yanni Gourde (4 GP in 2018) has posted a longer run among #GoBolts rookies all-time.