Canadiens-Lightning series comes down to Game 7

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Six one-goal games. Four overtime games. Now, Game 7.

It’s a fitting way to decide the Canadiens-Lightning series on Sunday night.

Gage Goncalves extended Tampa Bay’s season with an overtime goal Friday night, forcing Montreal back on the road to try to close out a thrilling Eastern Conference opening-round series.

“We haven’t won anything yet,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “All we did was win a game to send us back to Tampa and keep our season alive. You don’t want to rain on the parade. ... but we haven’t accomplished anything yet.”

Both teams have each won twice on the road in the series and home ice has not been an advantage for the Lightning in the postseason. They are just 2-10 in their last 12 playoff games in Tampa Bay, where a raucous crowd always shows up — 460 consecutive sellouts.

How even are these teams?

The score has been tied or within one goal for all but six minutes in the series. Each team has 14 goals, including nine in 5-on-5 play.

“In 14 years in the league, I’ve been in a number of Game 7s, some where we weren’t as good as the other team and some where I thought we were as good as the other team,” Cooper said. “And this right here is so even from special teams to the goaltending to everything and that’s how you get Game 7s. To win this, you have to have a special game from your team. I’m assuming the team that wins is going to get one more break than the other one.”

After falling two wins short of a Stanley Cup three-peat in 2022, the Lightning were eliminated in the first round each of the past three seasons.

The Canadiens are chasing their first series victory in five years.

“You’ve just got to embrace the situation,” said Canadiens coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis, who won some Game 7s as a player in Tampa Bay. “Things are meant to be. Things are meant to be for our growth, things are meant to be that we’re playing a Game 7. I think it’s going to help us pull toward what’s next for us.”

When/Where to Watch: Game 1, Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT (TNT).

Series: Tied 3-3.

The Lightning are 7-3 in Game 7s, including 4-1 in Tampa Bay. They beat Toronto in Game 7 to close out a first-round series in 2022 in their last winner-take-all game.

The Canadiens are 15-9 in Game 7s, including 7-6 on the road.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for Tampa Bay for his eighth career playoff shutout in Game 6. The Vezina Trophy finalist and two-time Cup winner is used to the pressure.

It’ll be the first Game 7 for Canadiens rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes, who has been outstanding in the series.

Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel has six goals in six games.

When/Where to Watch: Game 1, Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT (TNT).

Series: Second-round opener.

These two Central Division foes know each other well. Both teams were 2-1-1 against each other this season, given the NHL’s point system. They each won a game in regulation and lost in a shootout. Not only that, but the matchup features seven players who were in the gold-medal game — won by Team USA — at this year's Milan Cortina Olympics.

The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche and Wild are meeting for just the fourth time in the postseason. The last time these two teams met was the first round of the 2014 playoffs when Minnesota won Game 7 in overtime. Avalanche standout Nathan MacKinnon made his playoff debut in that series. The Wild also won the 2003 conference quarterfinals in seven games over Colorado, while the Avalanche captured a 2008 conference quarterfinals series in six games.

“It’s going to be a really hard series,” Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes said. “They’ve got some ultra-competitive guys, too. It’s a great challenge for us. We’re going to be looking forward to it.”

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed to this report.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) celebrates after his goal against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning players celebrate after a goal by teammate Gage Goncalves (partially obscured) during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Brandon Hagel (38) congratulates goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, left, after their team defeated the Montreal Canadiens in overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves, second from left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning's Gage Goncalves (93) scores against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) during overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres scored late in Barcelona’s 2-1 win at Osasuna on Saturday that set up a chance for Hansi Flick’s side to be crowned Spanish league champions this weekend.

Barcelona opened a 14-point gap over Real Madrid with four rounds left after this weekend. Madrid must win at Espanyol on Sunday to stop Barcelona from clinching a second straight La Liga crown.

A victory by Madrid would prolong the title fight another week, when Barcelona hosts Madrid in a "clasico" match.

Substitute Marcus Rashford picked out a run by Lewandowski and placed a cross for the striker to thump in with a powerful header in the 81st minute.

That sparked a flurry of goals in the final minutes. Torres added a second goal five minutes later, and Raúl García headed in one for Osasuna in the 89th.

“We have put the pressure on Madrid,” Torres said.

Between wrapping it up now or having the chance to do so with a win over Madrid at Camp Nou, Torres said he was fine with celebrating a title from his home on Sunday if Madrid slips at Espanyol.

“For me I just want to be champions as soon as possible,” he said. “That way we can start celebrating.”

Flick said that his players “were celebrating” in the changing room at El Sadar Stadium.

“It is a huge victory for us,” said the former Bayern Munich coach, who is close to getting his second Spanish league title in as many seasons.

“We did our job today and this is what I want to see from my team,” Flick said.

Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García made two key saves in the first half to keep it scoreless. Osasuna striker Ante Budimir also struck the post before halftime. It was only the third loss for 10th-placed Osasuna in Pamplona in the league this campaign.

Atletico Madrid rested most of its starters but got goals from two debutants as it won 2-0 at Valencia before it faces Arsenal for a place in the Champions League final.

Julián Álvarez, Alexander Sorloth and Giuliano Simeone, who all finished Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal with niggles, were among those players left off Atletico’s squad for the Spanish league game.

Atletico travels to London for the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday.

Diego Simeone called up nine youth team players for the visit to Valencia, with Iker Luque and Miguel Cubo coming on in the second half and scoring in the 73rd and 82nd for the win at Mestalla Stadium.

Atletico defender Nahuel Molina almost scored one of the goals of the season when he let rip a powerful strike from near the midfield circle that smacked the corner of the goal frame in the first half.

Atletico remained in fourth place and on course for another Champions League berth next season. Valencia was 13th and still in danger of falling into a relegation battle.

The game at Valencia was Simeone's 1,000th as a coach, Atletico said, with 795 at the Spanish club where he has been in charge since 2011.

Ernesto Valverde also coached his 500th game for Athletic Bilbao when he oversaw a 4-2 win at Alaves, with Spain winger Nico Williams scoring twice.

Both are club records.

Simeone posted on X that he was “grateful to all the people who have accompanied and helped me reach this figure (players, colleagues, club executives, fans) since I started coaching in 2006.”

Athletic’s players wore shirts with their mothers’ last names on them to mark Mother’s Day, which is held Sunday in Spain.

Villarreal guaranteed it will finish in the top four spots and play in Europe's elite club tournament for a second straight season after routing Levante 5-1.

Georges Mikautadze scored a double for third-placed Villarreal.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski heads the ball to score his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)