Lightning on the brink of elimination after another home playoff loss

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Another home loss in the playoffs has the Tampa Bay Lightning on the brink of an early vacation once again.

Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed a fluke goal on the day he was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, the Lightning struggled to win faceoffs, lucky bounces went the other way and they lost to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Wednesday night to fall behind 3-2 in the series.

Game 6 is Friday night in Montreal. The Lightning are trying to avoid a fourth straight first-round elimination since falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022.

“We got to drag them back here,” forward Corey Perry said. “You know it’s going to be a hostile environment. It’s loud but block it out and just go play. We found a way last game there. We got to do it again.”

The Lightning won Game 4 in Montreal but have lost 10 of their last 12 home games in the playoffs.

Alexandre Texier scored the winning goal 1:06 into the third period on a slap shot from the left circle that bounced off Vasilevskiy’s glove and trickled behind one of the NHL’s best goaltenders.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper blamed the goal on the defense.

“It stems way before that. It doesn’t stem from when Texier gets down the ice. It stems from the change and how we went about it and the mistakes we made on the way there,” Cooper said. “Forever, all Vasy does is bail us out of those. The rare time sometimes he doesn’t. He should’ve never got that deep into our zone and he got a lot on it. It wasn’t like Vasy got beat. He had it and it took a Montreal bounce, unfortunately for us.

The Canadiens dominated the faceoff circle, winning 66%. In another tight game - all five have been decided by one goal and the first three went to overtime - every puck possession matters.

“Possession is huge,” forward Brayden Point said. “There’s not a lot of room out there. Starting with the puck is massive.”

The Lightning had 40 shots on rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes but only Dominic James and Jake Guentzel could get the puck past him.

They had shots hit the post, crossbar and Nikita Kucherov had the puck bounce over his stick with an open net.

“We need other guys to score and haven’t been able to do it,” Point said. “It is frustrating. Just got to keep doing the right things and keep working hard.”

The Lightning have lost their last two elimination games. If they can win again in Montreal, they’ll host Game 7 on Sunday.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a glove save on a shot by Montréal Canadiens center Alex Newhook (15) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Dominic James (17) shoots for a goal after getting past Montréal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Montréal Canadiens center Kirby Dach (77) watches his shot get past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and center Gage Goncalves (93) for a goal during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Montréal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) stops a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (22) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) reacts after the team lost to the Montréal Canadiens in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Kenley Jansen, ruining a dominant performance by Tarik Skubal and rallying the Atlanta Braves to a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

Jansen, who blew his third save in nine chances, walked Ozzie Albies to lead off the ninth. Olson followed with his ninth homer, a shot into Atlanta's bullpen to end the game.

Skubal fell behind on Ozzie Albies' two-run shot in the first but gave up only three hits the rest of his seven-inning stint, with two of those runners wiped out by double plays.

The two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner gave the Tigers a bit of a scare in the seventh, rubbing his left arm after a 2-2 pitch to Olson to draw a visit from the trainer and manager A.J. Hinch. Skubal threw one warmup pitch, decided he was OK and struck out the side to end his night. He allowed five hits, fanned seven and didn't walk anyone.

But Jansen couldn't finish it for the Tigers.

Atlanta rookie JR Ritchie turned in another solid outing. He gave up three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings, with five hits, four walks and four strikeouts.

Reynaldo López (2-1), who began the season as Atlanta’s No. 2 starter before being demoted to the bullpen this week, pitched two perfect innings for the win.

Atlanta has now won nine series this season without a loss.

Detroit tied it in the second, nicking Ritchie for two runs after he retired the first two hitters. Kevin McGonigle had a run-scoring single, reaching base for the 26th consecutive game as a starter, and the Tigers added an unearned run on Ritchie's errant throw to first on a pickoff attempt.

Ritchie didn't give up a homer on his very first pitch, as he did in his big league debut at Washington last week. But Riley Greene went deep in the third, launching a 417-foot drive into the center-field seats on a changeup for his fourth homer of the year.

Atlanta sends RHP Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.95 ERA) to the mound for the finale of the interleague set. Detroit counters with LHP Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.41).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Atlanta Braves pitcher Jr. Ritchie (60) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene (31) during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) rubs his arm during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson (28) celebrates hitting a walk-off two run home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson (28) celebrates hitting a walk-off two run home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)