Canadiens vs Lightning live stream: how to watch NHL Stanley Cup Final 2021 online from anywhere

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens in the NHL Stanley Cup final

(Image credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It's Canada vs the US; the NHL's most successful franchise vs the reigning champions; Canadiens vs Lightning in this blockbuster Stanley Cup Final clash. While all signs are pointing towards a thunderous success for Tampa Bay, Montreal managed to claw a win from the jaws of defeat to bring the series 3-1, and still have a fighting chance. Here, we explain how to get a Canadiens vs Lightning live stream and watch the Stanley Cup Final 2021 online from anywhere.

Stanley Cup Final live stream 2021

Dates: June 28 - July 12

Time: 8pm ET / 5pm PT

Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida & Centre Bell, Montreal, Canada

US live stream: stream NBCSN | Peacock TV free trial, Sling TV discount or a FREE FuboTV trial

Global live stream: Premier Sports (UK) | Sportsnet / CBC (CAN) | Kayo Sports FREE trial (AUS)

Watch anywhere: try the world's best VPN 100% risk-free

The drought in the Great White North has raged for 28 years, the Canadiens' 1993 triumph - their 24th overall - marking the last time The Holy Grail was carried off to Canada. Can Montreal make it rain again? The Habs have been underdogs throughout, and true to form, they're up against it again, with Dominique Ducharme set to miss at least the first two games of the series, after his positive Covid test.

His opposite number, meanwhile, is hoping to become just the 12th coach to lift the trophy in two consecutive seasons. The Lightning boast the playoffs' leading goal and points scorers, in Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, as well as the best goaltender in the league, in Andrei Vasilevskiy.

However, as they've already proved on so many occasions, the Canadiens are much more than the sum of their parts. Read on for details on how to watch the Canadiens vs Lightning online and get a 2021 Stanley Cup Final live stream from anywhere.

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How to watch Stanley Cup Final 2021 from outside your country

Scroll down for all the ways you can watch the Canadiens vs Lightning online in a number of countries around the world - including the US and Canada. But first, you should know that if you're abroad at any point during the series, you probably won't be able to watch the Stanley Cup Final like you normally would at home.

This is because of geo-blocking, a digital restriction that means certain streaming services are only accessible in the region they're based in. The simplest and most reliable solution is to use a VPN service to change your IP address to a different location. This will generally let you tune in to your local coverage, just as you would from home, and means you don't have to trawl the sketchier corners of the internet for an illegal stream.

Use a VPN to watch Stanley Cup Final 2021 online from anywhere

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Canadiens vs Lightning: schedule and TV channels

Here's how this Stanley Cup Final series between Montreal and Tampa Bay looks:

Game 1: Won by Lightning 5-1
Game 2: Won by Lightning 3-1
Game 3: Won by Lightning 6-3
Game 4: Won by Canadiens 3-2
Game 5*: Wednesday, July 7, 8pm ET / 5pm PT on NBC
Game 6*: Friday, July 9, 8pm ET / 5pm PT on NBC
Game 7*: Saturday, July 11, 7pm ET / 4pm PT on NBC

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How to watch the 2021 Stanley Cup Final in the US

In the US, NBC, NBCSN and Peacock are the places to watch the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Now we're past game 2, the rest of the Canadiens vs Lightning series is being shown on NBC.

If you have cable, that means you're all set, and you'll also be able to watch a Stanley Cup Final live stream via the NBC Sports website - you'll just need to log-in with details of your TV provider.

How to watch Stanley Cup final without cable

You can stream the entire Stanley Cup Final series on Peacock TV, NBC's excellent streaming platform, which costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported service that offers loads more premium sports coverage, TV shows, and movies. Alternatively, you can pay a $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.

And best of all, Peacock even offers a FREE 7-day trial you can take advantage of.

If you're after a more fully-featured alternative to cable, the best value comes from Sling TV. The Sling TV
Blue package costs just $35 a month and includes NBC.

But even better, Sling is currently offering new subscribers a fantastic bargain - right now you can save big bucks with this Sling TV deal, which lets you get a whole month of Sling Blue for a mere $10.

Another over-the-top streaming service that includes both NBC and NBCSN is FuboTV. And, better still, it offers a FREE FuboTV trial. It carries more than 100 channels including Fox, CBS and ESPN, and is priced from $64.99 a month. It's really easy to sign up for, and can be cancelled no questions asked if it's not right for you.

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How to live stream Canadiens vs Lightning in Canada

In Canada, hockey fans with a cable subscription can watch the entire Canadiens vs Lightning series on Sportsnet and CBC.

If you've cut the cord, the Sportsnet Now streaming service is also showing the entire Stanley Cup Final series, and costs just $19.99 a month.

If you've already got a subscription, you can also tune in through Canada’s NHL.tv equivalent, the NHL Live streaming service.

Furthermore, TVA Sports is providing French-language coverage of every game, and OMNI is offering Punjabi-language coverage of Game 4 and beyond.

If you find yourself out of Canada and unable to watch the game you want due to geo-blocking restrictions, remember that a VPN is all you need to tune back in to your preferred NHL coverage wherever you are.

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How to watch 2021 Stanley Cup Final: live stream NHL ice hockey in the UK

Hockey fans based in the UK can tune into the Stanley Cup Final on Premier Sports, which is available for £10.99 a month through Sky, and £12.99 per month on Virgin Media.

There's also a streaming-only option available, costing £10.99 for the full works including Premier Sports 1 and 2, LaLiga TV, and Box Nation.

Prepare for some late nights though, with the earliest possible start scheduled for midnight UK time.

Out of the UK but want to watch your usual hockey live stream? Just follow the VPN route as described above and you'll be up and running in no time.

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How to watch NHL: live stream 2021 Stanley Cup Final ice hockey in Australia

NHL fans based in Oz can tune into the Stanley Cup Final on ESPN, which is available through Foxtel. That means you can also live stream the ice hockey through slick streaming platform Kayo.

A favourite of cord-cutters in Australia, Kayo offers the NHL alongside F1, NBA, AFL, NFL, cricket and way more. Handy if you don't want to go all out on Fox.

The streaming service has a Basic and a Premium plan, with the difference being you can watch on two devices with the Basic plan for $25 per month and on three devices with the Premium plan for $35 per month.

The best news? Both plans come with a FREE 14-day trial, so you can actually watch the Canadiens vs Lightning series for free.

If you've already got a subscription, you can also tune in through the NHL's own streaming service, NHL.tv, which is available Down Under for US$19.99.

And don't forget that using a VPN can help you tune in to all your favourite sports and streaming services from all over the world.

Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.