Canadiens Claw Back to Defeat Lightning in Tight Race

The Montreal Canadiens rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday night. This victory keeps the Canadiens in the thick of the playoff race in the Atlantic Division, where just four points separate third place from sixth place.

The Lightning struck first with goals from Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel in the second period. However, the Canadiens responded with a power-play goal from Juraj Slafkovsky and a tying tally from Alex Newhook.

With the game hanging in the balance late in the third period, Jake Evans delivered the game-winning goal for Montreal. This win puts the Canadiens just one point behind the Lightning in the standings.

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault made 33 saves to secure the victory. He will be looking to impress Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, who will also be coaching Team Canada at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament where Montembeault is one of the three goaltenders selected.

The Canadiens’ rookie defenseman, Lane Hutson, extended his point streak to nine games with an assist on Slafkovsky’s goal. This ties the NHL record for the longest assist streak by a rookie defenseman.

The Lightning will need to regroup quickly as they find themselves in a tight battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer