Lightning Edge Canadiens in Hard-Fought Battle, Extend Win Streak to Four
The Tampa Bay Lightning kept their momentum rolling with a thrilling 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Sunday. Victor Hedman led the charge with a goal and an assist, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall, making 32 saves to help Tampa Bay secure their fourth straight win before the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off break. Meanwhile, the Canadiens continued to struggle, dropping their third consecutive game and extending their rough stretch to just one win in their last nine outings.
Right from the start, Tampa Bay wasted no time asserting themselves. Nick Paul opened the scoring less than seven minutes into the game, sneaking behind Montreal’s defense to bury a slick backhander past rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes. Just a few minutes later, Hedman doubled the lead, showing off his offensive instincts by driving to the slot and ripping a wrister past Dobes’ glove side.
Montreal had a chance to get back into it when Josh Anderson was awarded a penalty shot late in the first period, but he missed the net entirely, leaving the Bell Centre crowd groaning in frustration. However, Brendan Gallagher gave them something to cheer about moments later, blasting a power-play goal past Vasilevskiy to cut the deficit to 2-1 before the intermission.
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The second period started disastrously for the Canadiens, as Brayden Point cashed in on a power play just over a minute in, extending Tampa’s lead to 3-1 and forcing Montreal to pull Dobes in favor of Sam Montembeault. Zemgus Girgensons made it 4-1 midway through the period, scoring his first goal in 55 games, a moment of relief for the veteran forward.
Despite the growing deficit, the Canadiens refused to go quietly. Christian Dvorak answered back with a well-placed wrist shot past Vasilevskiy, and Gallagher struck again in the third period, bringing Montreal within one with his second goal of the night. The Canadiens pressed hard for the equalizer, controlling play late in the game, but Vasilevskiy shut the door with several clutch saves.
With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Montreal had a final push, but a costly turnover led to Anthony Cirelli burying an empty-net goal with just 16 seconds remaining, sealing Tampa Bay’s 5-3 win.
One of the big storylines coming into the game was the absence of Nikita Kucherov, who missed the contest due to an upper-body injury. But the Lightning showed their depth, proving they can still generate offense without their superstar winger. On the Canadiens' side, defensive lapses and missed opportunities—including the crucial penalty shot miss by Anderson—proved costly.
The Lightning now head into the 4 Nations Face-Off break on a high note, boasting a strong 5-0-1 run in their last six games. Several players from both teams will now shift their focus to representing their countries in the upcoming tournament, including Hedman for Sweden, Cirelli, Point, and Brandon Hagel for Canada, and Montembeault in net for the Canadian squad.
For Montreal, it’s another frustrating loss in a tough stretch. They’ll have time to regroup before their next game on Feb. 22 against the Ottawa Senators, hoping to turn things around and get back in the win column. Meanwhile, the Lightning will prepare to face the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 23, looking to keep their hot streak alive.
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