The Montreal Canadiens brushed off qualms about the Tampa Bay Lightning’s vast playoff experience and the fact that it entered the Benchmark International Arena without their standout right-shot defenseman, Noah Dobson, to do all they could, and it paid off. The Habs took the 4-3 win in overtime.
The star of the show? Undoubtedly, Juraj Slafkovsky. The 22-year-old paved the way for the Canadiens’ victory with three spectacular goals and hit an extraordinary personal milestone in the process.
Juraj Slafkovsky Creates Montreal Canadiens History with Playoff Hat Trick
The Canadiens had the odds stacked against them. Former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger believed the Habs would stand no chance against the Lightning, given that they are playing without one of their two right-shot defensemen, Dobson, and that the Bolts are seasoned playoff performers.
While the first round is not even close to being over, Montreal defied all odds, including the fact that they did not have home-ice advantage, to emerge victorious. The Habs have made it clear that their young core is not one to be trifled with. 22-year-old Slafkovsky, for instance, has become the first player in the history of the franchise to score three power-play goals in a playoff game.
Juraj Slafkovsky
First player in Canadiens history with 3 PP goals in a playoff game#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Ss1qnUZdCp
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 20, 2026
Slafkovsky is also the first player in the Canadiens to score three goals in a playoff game since Rene Bourque did it in Game 5 of the Conference Final in 2014. Moreover, the 22-year-old is the third-youngest Canadiens player to score a hat trick in playoff history, just behind Bernie Geoffrion and Howie Morenz.
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In the aftermath of his phenomenal feat against the Bolts, Slafkovsky reflected on the overtime goal that enabled the Habs to win and etched the winger’s name in history.
“I found some open space there and decided to shoot it, thankfully it went in, so we’re real happy,” the 22-year-old shared, before quickly reiterating the pressing need of the hour: to come out of the first round unscathed.
“But we’ve got to stay focused. We’ve got another game in two days, so we’ve got to make sure we’re prepared for that,” Slafkovsky concluded, per NHL’s Corey Long.
Among other notable players from among the Habs are Josh Anderson, who also scored, while Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki had two assists each against the Lightning.
With the 4-3 defeat, the Lightning have now lost three consecutive games against the Canadiens, except this one stings a little more. The playoff history between the two teams is heavily tilted in the Bolts’ favor. The last time they clashed was in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, when Tampa Bay claimed the series 4-1.
The singular occasion when the Habs have won was in 2014. The Canadiens dominated the series 4-0. Could Montreal’s current young core recreate that all these years later?
