Forward Juraj Slafkovsky scored a hat trick, including the overtime winner, in a 4-3 Game 1 win for the Montreal Canadiens over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday.
All three of Slafkovsky’s goals came on the power play. He scored the winner at 1:22 in overtime with Jake Guentzel in the box for high-sticking. He’s the first Hab to score three PP goals in a single playoff game.
It was a reversal of fortune compared to the final month of the regular season, where the Montreal Canadiens’ PP went 4-for-31 in eight games in April. Most notably, they went 0-for-7 against the Lightning the last time they met on April 9.
Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovsky celebrates his goal to tie the game 2-2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game 1 of the first round of the NHL playoffs at Benchmark International Arena on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Tampa. Dirk Shadd / Tampa Bay Times
The referees awarded five power plays to each side. The Bolts also capitalized with two goals on the man-advantage.
The first half of the game was all about Josh Anderson. The “power horse,” known for his playoff prowess, rose to the occasion to put the Canadiens on the board at 13:24 of the first period.
More Anderson in the second. After having a potential goal called back on a high-stick, the Habs forward turned up the heat physically, rocking Charle-Edouard D’Astous with a hit. He was assessed a charging penalty on the play.
On the ensuing power play, defenceman Darren Raddysh beat Jakub Dobes for the 1-1 equalizer.
Then, 29 seconds later, Brandon Hagel gave the Bolts their first lead of the night, jumping on a Lane Hutson turnover in front of Dobes.
The Canadiens paid for their penalties, but so did the Lightning. With 1:28 left in the second, Conor Geekie was sent to the box for high-sticking Hutson, and with 24 seconds remaining in the period, Slafkovsky blasted a one-timer for his first of the night. Earlier, the Habs forward took a hard hit from Ryan McDonagh, and his game appeared to turn around after.
The referees did not put their whistles away in the third period. Anthony Cirelli took an interference penalty on Slafkovsky, and the Slovak winger made him pay by scoring his second of the night. The Canadiens regained the lead with 14:04 left in regulation.
Then it was Tampa’s turn at 5-on-4. Zachary Bolduc took a slashing penalty and Hagel was on the doorstep for the tap-in. It was his second of the night. All square with less than eight minutes to play.
With the way things were going, the team that got the last power play had a good chance to win, and the Habs were gifted a glorious opportunity with 21 seconds in the third period when Guentzel high-sticked Kaiden Guhle.
In overtime, after the first 1:20 of the power play proved fruitless, coach Martin St. Louis opted to use his time out to give his first wave a break. They went back out and Slafkovsky stunned Andrei Vasilevskiy with a quick shot from the faceoff dot for the win.
After getting outshot in the first and second periods, the Canadiens outshot the Lightning 9-7 in the third and got the only shot in overtime.
While the last game involving both teams was marred with penalties and rough play — 126 penalty minutes in all — last night’s parade to the box was more of the loosey-goosey, stick-swinging variety. The bad blood only simmered in Game 1, but the series is just getting started. They’ll resume hostilities in Game 2 on Tuesday in Tampa Bay.
Obviously, Slafkovsky sits atop last night’s Game Score. The Liveblog commenters on the Hockey Inside Out YouTube Livestream felt Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno could bring more to the bottom six than the likes of Bolduc and Kirby Dach, and based on the results, St. Louis may tinker.
In his first game back after missing the last nine of the regular season due to injury, Alexandre Carrier helped ease the loss of Noah Dobson on the blue line by playing 18:36 and being a +1. And the commenters loved Arber Xhekaj landing five hits in 10:59 after he sat to start last year’s first-round series against the Washington Capitals.
Speaking of the commenters, many thanks to them for hopping on the livestream for an intense Game 1 between two evenly matched opponents. Here’s what they had to say in the glow of Slafkovsky’s OT winner.
3. Congrats on beating the Tampa Lumberjacks.
RMJMI9509
2. Marty’s time out call could be the play of the game.
Ray Holden
1. It wasn’t our best game, but we won!!! Way to go Dobes, Andy and Slaf. Playoff hockey!!
Bob Taylor
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