How To Watch Bolts Play Canadiens At Amalie Arena Wednesday

TAMPA, FL — They were so close to hanging on to the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the Bolts weren't able to take advantage of a four-minute power play in the third period of Monday's tied 2-2 game with the Canadiens in Montreal Monday night.

Then, in overtime, the Canadiens scored, and the championship escaped the Bolts' grasp, forcing Game 5 Wednesday at 8 p.m.

The Lightning are playing on home ice at Amalie Arena where they won the first two games of the Stanley Cup Fiinals. A win Wednesday will keep the Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay and make the Lightning the seventh franchise in the NHL's expansion era (since 1967-68) to win back-to-back championships.

The Bolts arrived back in Tampa Tuesday from Montreal where Lightning head coach Jon Cooper gave his team the benefit of the doubt.

"Sweeping a team's hard to do. It's hard enough just to beat a team, let alone to take them out in four," he said. "We're in the Stanley Cup Final. It's rare that happens. Teams don't fluke their way to the Final. It's two good hockey teams playing each other, and the series was meant to go more than four games. They'll be ready tomorrow."

"No doubt we missed an opportunity last night," Bolts' Ryan McDonagh said during an interview Tuesday. "Our group knows that. You turn the page pretty quick here this morning, and you realize what a great opportunity you have here as a team, as a group, as an organization. Up 3-1 in the series and you've got to win one more and you're going into a place you're familiar with and the fan base that's going to be behind us. We've got to go out there and give it our best effort and try to win one hockey game."

"Sometimes you play pretty good, and it's a break here or a break there that doesn't go your way and you just have to keep fighting through it," Cooper said. "In the end, they (the Canadiens) got a break, and we couldn't find the back of the net. No hanging our heads."

How To Watch

The Lightning expects Wednesday's matchup to be another sold-out game, although there were still tickets available Tuesday afternoon ranging $615.83 to $8,000,

Currently, the average secondary market list price for the Game 5 is $1,867, with a get-in price of $683, according to FaniQ. If the Bolts win the game, it would be the second most expensive Stanley Cup Finals home clincher since 2011. The only one that was more expensive was Game 6 in 2015 when the Lightning fell to the Blackhawks in Chicago. That game had an average list price of $2,200.

If the Canadiens win Games 5 and 6 and force a Game 7, the average price for secondary tickets for Game 7 will be more than $4,000 and the get-in price more than $1,100, according to FaniQ.

For those who aren't lucky enough to score (or afford) a game ticket, Pepsi Zero Sugar will host a socially distanced watch party on Ford Thunder Alley outside Amalie Arena, featuring live music and giveaways. Tickets are $5 with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Lightning Foundation Charities. Pods of one to eight people are available.

The plaza will open three hours before the puck drop at 8 p.m. and those attending are permitted to bring a standard tailgate-sized chair to watch the game on the Jumbotron in comfort. There will be food and drinks for sale in the alley. Outside food and beverages, coolers, bags, and tents are not permitted.

Or fans can just pocket the cash and catch the game from home livestreamed on NHL NBC Sports, on the NHL Network and on NBCUniversal cable networks (NBCSN, USA Network and CNBC).

You can also down the NBC mobile sports apps here.

See related stories:

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• Lightning Head Into Final Game Of Stanley Cup
• Lightning To Play Game 7 Friday After Losing To Islanders 2-3
• Lightning Strikes Twice As Bolts Head To Stanley Cup Semifinals
• Lightning Add Capacity, Release More Tickets To Sunday's Game