A good start to the game and one of the luckiest goals of the season weren't enough for the Montreal Canadiens, who ultimately lost 4-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday evening.
After taking a two-goal lead, the Canadian got the Lightning back on track by scoring four unanswered goals.
After an uneventful first period in which the Canadian mostly managed to contain the Lightning's attack, Cole Caufield scored the first goal after taking the puck from Steven Stamkos before projecting the puck past Jonas Johansson.
Then, clearly still in the holiday spirit, the referees blew the whistle slowly after a save by Samuel Montembeault, allowing the Canadian goaltender to give the puck back to Johnathan Kovacevic. The latter shot from one end of the ice to the other and scored, while Jonas Johansson, convinced that the game was stopped, walked in the corner of the ice.
Brayden Point responded two minutes later for Lighting and the Éclairs didn't let up after that.
Austin Watson at the end of the second period, then Calvin de Haan and Nikita Kuchevov in the third period took turns scoring goals, giving the Florida team an unassailable lead.
Captain Suzuki attempted a comeback with a shot from an impossible angle at the end of the third period with 2:05 minutes left, but it was too little, too late.
THIRD PERIOD
17:55 – GOAL! Nick Suzuki scores from a tight angle after a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky.
Suzuki closes the gap to 4-3 –
14:53 – GOAL! Nikita Kucherov completes a beautiful pass from Victor Hedman.
Kucherov hurts the CH –
12:03 – Tanner Jeannot is punished for obstruction.
10:21 – David Savard is ejected for tripping Nikita Kucherov.
07:49 – GOAL! Calvin de Haan gives the Lightning the lead for the first time in the game. Nikita Kucherov scores his 60th point of the season.
Calvin de Haan gives the Lightning the lead –
00:00 – Start of the third engagement.
SECOND PERIOD
17:36 – GOAL! Austin Watson scores with a shot that rebounds and that Samuel Montembeault would like to see again.
A rare mistake from Montembeault –
14:01 – GOAL! Brayden Point scores on a breakaway.
11:59 – GOAL! Johnathan Kovacevic scores the easiest goal of his career in an unusual situation.
The CH scores a very strange goal –
04:07 – Josh Anderson throws his gloves to the ground in front of Luke Glendening, who pounces on him after a hard check on Erik Cernak.
Solid check from Anderson, who then takes responsibility for his actions –
03:58 – GOAL! Cole Caufield scores for the second game in a row, taking advantage of a Lightning error in the slot.
Two goals in two games for Caufield –
01:32 – Nick Suzuki is penalized for hooking Brayden Point.
00:00 – Start of the second engagement.
FIRST PERIOD
8:00 p.m – After 20 minutes of play, the Habs lead 10-4 in shots.
3:50 p.m – Mike Matheson is penalized for delaying the game.
00:00 – Start of the meeting.
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