Canadiens bring out Gallagher, defeat Lightning in Game 5 taking 3-2 series lead

Brendan Gallagher stepped come out of the press out package and went square endorse to his office.

The blue paint.

In his first shift of the playoffs, the veteran winger crashed the crease and opened the scoring, sparking the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 win — and 3-2 series lead — over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 on Wednesday.

“That's where you go,” Gallagher said. “Especially this time of year.”

Gallagher had spent four straight games as a healthy scratch, watching his teammates battle through a bitter first-round matchup where his grit and grind could have made a difference.

Three minutes into Game 5, the 33-year-old forward pounced on a loose puck after Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy denied Alex Newhook’s deke to the backhand, then raised his arms and pumped his fist as Montreal’s bench erupted.

“You know where Gally's gonna go. He's gonna go right where he scored his goal,” coach Martin St. Louis said. “It came time in the series where I felt like we probably needed a little more of that, and I know Gally is gonna give you that.

“I'm really happy the way he's handled everything and not surprised about how he did tonight."

St. Louis felt Gallagher, who entered the lineup in place of rookie forward Oliver Kapanen, could give his team a jolt after a tough-to-swallow 3-2 loss in Game 4 at home.

The Canadiens coach admitted it had been difficult to sit his longest-serving player, a heart-and-soul figure who wears an “A” on his sweater and has long dragged his teammates into the fight.

Gallagher knew it was possible amid a frustrating season of just seven goals and 16 assists across 77 games, with ice time dropping to a career low 12:21. As a healthy scratch, Gallagher also watched five games in the regular season from the press box, sitting out for the first time since his rookie campaign in 2012-13.

A culture-setter during the Canadiens’ rebuild, Gallagher found himself pushed out of the lineup as a young, talented group evolved into a playoff contender. But he remained engaged, sharing his experience while waiting for his chance.

“It's the same now as it was my first year in the league, you just take nothing for granted,” he said. “I know how good this group is and how deep they are, and so opportunities are going to be limited. Doesn't mean they're not going to come, you just got to be ready when they do.”

Gallagher was ready Wednesday at Benchmark International Arena, the same building where he lost the Stanley Cup final five years ago.

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He played just 10 shifts and logged 6:48 minutes of ice time, but made every second count, finishing with three hits to go with his goal. He boxed out Gage Goncalves early in the first period, created a chance late in the second and then again for Jake Evans in the third.

"It's impressive and it just sums up his character,” Evans said. “He was obviously frustrated that he wasn't in, and he showed that he's a playoff guy and those are the type of games he needs to be in.”

There was also an image Canadiens fans have seen countless times with 6:22 remaining in the second period. A helmetless Gallagher, with a cut beneath his eye, starting a net-front scrum.

“That's Brendan Gallagher Hockey 101 right there,” said forward Kirby Dach. “He played a heck of a game for us.”

“It's a pretty easy bucket to knock off,” added forward Josh Anderson with a wide smile. “That's just Gally. Always being in the blue paint and you don't expect anything less.”

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Gallagher described it simply as having fun.

“And I got some catching up to do. These guys have had some fun and been able to enjoy it,” he said. “You grind all season to have this opportunity, you just want to enjoy it. You can't get lost in the importance of everything, you can't forget to have fun.”

Alexandre Texier — with a third-period winner — and Dach also scored as the Canadiens held off a late push from the Lightning.

Rookie Jakub Dobes stopped 38 shots, in total, to help Montreal move within a victory of advancing for the first time since losing to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021.

The team will have a chance to close out the series in Game 6 on Friday in Montreal, where Gallagher should receive a raucous welcome from the home crowd.

“The guys have been playing great hockey, it's been a fun series to watch,” he said. “And coming in, I just tried to follow their lead, find a way to contribute."

“The group right now is really dialed in, playing some really solid hockey, and it's fun to be a part of,” he said.

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