Canadiens Defeat Lightning, Grab Important Eastern Conference Points
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By Doug Hirdle
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Summary:
- The Montreal Canadiens erased a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Tuesday.
- Jake Evans scored the game-winning goal late in the third period off a setup from Joel Armia.
- The victory marked Montreal’s 13th win in their last 17 games, propelling them into a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
When Juraj Slafkovsky rushed into the Montreal Canadiens dressing room and bypassed the celebrations going on around him to grab his phone, it wasn’t what you might think.
The 19-year-old winger from Slovakia wasn’t interested in texting or scrolling through social media.
Instead, he was overly-excited to check the NHL Eastern Conference standings after his team’s 3-2 comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
“We’re There Right Now.”
“Oh, I went to look right now, after the game”, Slafkovsky admitted in a lively Bell Centre dressing room.
I was the first one on the phone looking at where we’re at. We’re there right now.
Jake Evans sealed the victory with just over two minutes left, finishing a crisp setup from Joel Armia to complete the Canadiens’ rally from a 2-0 deficit.
The win pushed the surging Habs (24-19-4) into a wild-card spot. Their 13th victory in 17 games brought them to 52 points, just one shy of Tampa Bay for third place in the Atlantic Division.
For Slafkovsky, the standings matter more now than they did during last season’s struggles.
When you lose, you’re trying not to look at it, But when you win, you’re obviously trying to see who is where, who has how many points, how the other teams played today.
Head coach Martin St. Louis is pleased with the team’s progress but remains cautious.
You have to be careful. The standings can look nice for a day, but you have to keep at it. It’s tight, and it’s going to stay tight, so you can’t have too many bad weeks. But I think we’re sticking with the process, and that helps keep us sane while we keep chasing points.
The Canadiens are now part of a crowded playoff picture, tied with Ottawa and Boston at 52 points. Meanwhile, several teams just outside the bubble are poised to challenge.
Guentzel: “Stings Not to Get Points.”
“It’s bunched up”, said Tampa forward Jake Guentzel, adding that every game matters.
Tuesday’s defeat was particularly bitter for Tampa Bay. The team has lost seven of its last eight road games.
“I thought we played a pretty good game”, Guentzel said. “Stings not to get points … it’s a tough way to lose.”, the 30-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, shared.
St. Louis on Montembeault: “Your Goalie Can Save You.”
Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault stopped 33 of 35 shots and held firm during a 15-shot barrage in the third period.
He kept us in the game. When you don’t have your A game, your goalie can save you, and that’s what he did.
For Montembeault, who struggled in a 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, this performance was just the timely boost he needed, especially with rising competition from rookie backup Jakub Dobes.
The 23-year-old from the Czech Republic has had a spectacular NHL start, accomplishing a 5-0 record and a .941 save percentage since his team called him up from the American Hockey League right after the holidays.
Speaking on Montembeault, coach St. Louis said: “I think he’s happy that Dobes is doing well, but I think Sam always focuses on himself a lot.”, adding that having internal competition is a good problem to have as a team.
