TAMPA, Fla. — Juraj Slafkovsky netted his third goal on the power play at 1 minute, 22 seconds into the extra period, securing a 4-3 victory for the Montreal Canadiens over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening match of their initial playoff series on Sunday evening.
The 22-year-old Slafkovsky, the top draft selection in 2022 and having made his first playoff appearance last season, unleashed a slapshot from the left face-off circle that soared beyond Andrei Vasilevskiy to the opposite side of the net, completing his hat trick. Data from ESPN Research indicates that Slafkovsky holds the record as the youngest individual in NHL history to achieve a hat trick in a postseason debut, surpassing Wayne Gretzky, who accomplished this feat at the same age in 1983.
Regarding the decisive goal, Slafkovsky remarked, “I spotted a clear lane. I chose to take the shot, and fortunately, it found its way in. Naturally, we are all pleased. Nevertheless, we must maintain our concentration. Another match awaits us in 48 hours.”
The second game is scheduled for Tuesday evening at Benchmark International Arena, a venue where the Tampa Bay team has experienced defeat in eight of its most recent nine playoff contests played on home ice.
Martin St. Louis, the head coach for Montreal, who is a celebrated figure for the Lightning and a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee as a forward, requested a timeout during the power play in overtime, moments before Slafkovsky netted the winning goal.
Montreal’s captain, Nick Suzuki, commented, “I believe his intention was merely to offer us a brief respite. Marty’s desire was to discuss strategy and ascertain our preferred approach. We had no inclination to alter anything, having already been on the ice, but our objective was simply to conclude the contest.”
Josh Anderson also contributed a score for Montreal, while first-year goaltender Jakub Dobes recorded 20 stops in the NHL’s inaugural extended-play match of the current postseason.
Brandon Hagel found the net twice, and Darren Raddysh also tallied a goal for Tampa Bay, a team that entered this playoff segment as the strong favorite to emerge victorious in the series. The Lightning have faced elimination in the initial round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, following their failure to achieve a Stanley Cup three-peat by just two victories in 2022.
The Canadiens are pursuing their initial Stanley Cup championship since clinching their record-setting 24th NHL title in 1993. They have not triumphed in a single playoff series since the Lightning defeated them in the Cup Final during 2021.
Twelve months subsequent to that, they selected Slafkovsky, who, as per ESPN Research, became the inaugural player in the history of the NHL to register three power-play goals, one of which was the game-winning goal in overtime, within any single playoff encounter.
Anderson remarked about Slafkovsky’s progression, stating, “It’s been truly astonishing, truthfully. This season, he clearly made substantial progress. He operates as a power forward, a sizable individual, and he’s simply challenging to halt.”
Hagel’s goal while on the power play – a deflection stemming from an accurate feed by Jake Guentzel at the 8:58 mark of the third period – leveled the score at 3-3, occurring several minutes subsequent to Slafkovsky giving Montreal the lead.
Slafkovsky’s attempt from the top of the slot found its way beneath Vasilevskiy’s left leg pad, granting a momentary advantage. Earlier, he converted a flawless cross-ice pass from Ivan Demidov with a one-timer from the right face-off circle, knotting the score at 2-2 during the concluding minute of the second frame.
In doing so, he became the twenty-second distinct player for the Canadiens franchise to achieve a hat trick during a Stanley Cup playoff match, as documented by ESPN Research.
Raddysh evened the contest at one goal apiece with a forceful slapshot in the second period. The Lightning swiftly moved ahead 2-1 merely 29 seconds later when Hagel recovered an unattached puck from beside the goal crease and backhanded it beyond Dobes.
Montreal’s fourth forward unit provided the Canadiens with an early 1-0 advantage in the opening period when Anderson executed a top-corner shot into an unguarded net.
Anderson saw an additional goal disallowed following a video review midway through the second frame. He had redirected Mike Matheson’s slapshot past Vasilevskiy, but the tally was nullified due to his stick being positioned higher than the crossbar.
During the defeat, Tampa Bay witnessed the comeback of centerman Dominic James, whose status was shifted from long-term injured reserve earlier that day. James, age 23, had missed the concluding 24 games of the regular season due to an injury in his lower body, having surgery in March. He participated with the fourth forward unit, completing nine turns on the ice for a total duration of 7 minutes and 18 seconds.
Information for this article was provided by The Associated Press.
