First period
- After the Lightning spent a long shift in the offensive zone — on the perimeter anyway — Mike Matheson wrists a point shot off the post.
- The ghosts are still unhappy with the Canadiens.
- Lane Hutson gets wrapped up as he tries to pull the puck off the boards. The Lightning player throws his arms in the air to show that he is completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
- Vasilevskiy is not seeing the puck very well to start. Alexandre Carrier sent a shot just over the net that he didn’t pick up.
- He saw the one from point-blank range deflected by Kirby Dach, and made a great save.
- The Canadiens just don’t get away with pick plays. They think they can run the same type of interference as the Lightning, but they can’t. Matheson goes to the box.
- Anthony Cirelli hits the post on the power play, so that count is even now.
- Other than that, it was a good, aggressive kill for Montreal.
- As they did in the past couple of games, the Canadiens are once again chasing the puck in their zone at five-on-five instead of relying on their positioning to be in the passing lanes.
- Kaiden Guhle didn’t see the puck sliding toward his feet, and the Lightning pounce on that momentary lapse. Nikita Kucherov scores.
- Lane Hutson is off to the box for high-sticking Jake Guentzel.in front of the net. Another shift on which they couldn’t stop the cycle in their zone.
- Dach takes a high stick in front of the net, and now despite being handily outplayed in the this period, they have a chance to even up the score.
- Christian Dvorak takes a tripping penalty below the goal line to kill off the final 17 seconds of the power, and put the Lightning on the advantage to start the second period.
- Forty-five more days until Owen Beck takes his centre spot in the lineup.
- A poor period for Montreal, and they’re beginning to have those too often now.
- But, they’re still just down by a goal.
Second period
- Once again, the penalty kill looks solid against Tampa Bay’s five most-dangerous players.
- As the game returns to five-on-five, the Lightning score off an offensive-zone faceoff.
- It’s Conor Geekie’s turn to take an offensive-zone penalty. The Canadiens need to take advantage of this power play.
- Juraj Slafkovský does just that. Vasilevskiy thinks he has the post sealed, but he does not, and the Slovak finds a hole.
Incredible bank job by Juraj Slafkovsky for the power play goal
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 21, 2025 at 9:12 PM
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- Another point for Hutson as he extends his point streak to nine games. He has 13 points in that time.
- It’s a new game now … if the Canadiens can start getting the puck out of their zone.
- An incredible effort from the second line, and the game is tied. Alex Newhook gets rewarded for his great work ethic in recent weeks.
Laine feeds Newhook and that's two goals in 1:49 for the Habs!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 21, 2025 at 9:15 PM
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- Another random high stick hits a Lightning player. It belonged to Brendan Gallagher.
- The Lightning moved the puck around well, but never like any of the looks they got and the Habs survive.
- Tampa Bay nearly get a goal out of nothing as Hutson forgets he’s supposed to be watching Anthony Cirelli and starts to go behind the net, leaving he Selke Trophy candidate wide-open.
- Josh Anderson slings a great pass to Brendan Gallagher at the side of the net, but Gallagher just can’t get enough on it to deflect it in. A nice play from Anderson regardless.
- Gallagher turns the puck over in his zone and Brayden Point backhands a shot off the post. It hasn’t been the best period for Gallagher.
- Lane Hutson throws his weight around versus one of Tampa Bay’s biggest forwards, Nick Paul:
- About two people clap as the horn sounds. Overcoming a two-goal deficit is becoming old hat I guess.
Third period
- Tampa Bay has played five hard periods in a span of 26 hours. Montreal should have the energy advantage for the final 20 minutes.
- Brandon Hagel can’t complete his play after blasting down the fall and across the front of Montembeault. Slafkovský felt he was hooked by Victor Hedman on a mini-break as the teams trade great chances in the opening two minutes.
- The defence is not sharps tonight. Tampa Bay gets another two-on-one, but Montembeault makes the save.
- Guhle gets his arm jammed between two players and it looks like he may have had his elbow hyper-extended.
- If the Habs are the fresher team, they’re not really showing it, but at least they’re not stuck in their own zone.
- Kucherov and ref collide in the corner and both feel a bit of pain. the crowd liked that contact almost as much as the Hutson hipcheck.
- I have a bad feeling that right now the Lightning are just biding their time to push for a late winner in the final minutes. I’ve seen that movie before.
- Montreal is starting to get some chances of their own now, and the crowd is cheering them on to be the ones to find that winner instead.
- The Canadiens almost fumbled the game away on an attempted zone breakout as Anderson bobbled the puck, but Montembeault bailed him out.
- Instead, it’s the Canadiens who net a late goal. It starts in the defensive zone with a Jake Evans faceoff win. It ends in the offensive zone with a Jake Evans one-time goal.
JAKE EVANS GONNA GET PAID 3-2 Habs!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) January 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
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- I guess it was the Dread reversed tarot card I pulled earlier
- Another 2:15 to go. The defence needs to be impeccable.
- Evans tries for the empty net, but his shot curls wide.
- Gallagher goes for the dagger, but his shot is deflected wide by a Lightning player, and none of the four officials see that.
- David Savard incubates the puck for the final 15 seconds, and the Canadiens take the 3-2 win in regulation.
- From nine points back of the Lightning on the morning of December 29, the gap is now a single point.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Of course we appreciate a little rhyme
2) They say it makes perfect
1) Yes, I clicked the button
