The Montreal Canadiens faced the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night with the goal of extending their winning streak to six games.
Apart from the points in the standings, the game was quite important, as there is a good chance that both teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs.
It was another tough battle, but in the end, the Canadiens emerged with a 4–1 victory.
Let's look at the highlights!
happy belated birthday!
Juraj Slafkowski, who turned 22 on Monday, opened the scoring with a spectacular shot on the power play that actually pushed Andrei Vasilevskiy's stick out of the five-hole before finding the back of the net.
It was his 29th goal of the year, although it should be noted that the power play would never have happened without a spectacular individual effort from Lane Hutson, which saw him easily navigate all traffic before falling in front of the Lightning net.
Juraj Slafkowski made the score 1-0 #GoHabsGo With a bang on the powerplay. His shot actually knocked Vasilevskiy's stick out of the way! pic.twitter.com/K6PFyJ3uJG
- Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 31 March 2026
mr every night
While it's true that Cole Caufield loves to score on Saturdays, they call him 'Mr.' 'Saturday Night' is selling him a little short, as he likes to score for every day that ends with 'y'.
He scored his 47th goal of the year midway through the second period to give the Canadiens a 2–1 lead, although it should be noted that Slafkowski produced an excellent zone entry, not to mention a great pass before the goal. Additionally, Mike Matheson recorded his 300th career point in a scoring play.
He proceeded to score an empty-net goal, the first of two by the Habs, securing Montreal's victory in the process.
Score 47 goals for Cole Coffield!!
Also great work by Juraj Slafkowski on Rush. 2-1 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Zk0QiBpgfa
- Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) April 1, 2026
first star of the week
Jacob Dobbs stopped 35 of 36 shots sent his way to secure his 26th win of the season, not to mention his fourth win in a row.
He's stepping up when the Habs need him most, and although new goaltending coach Marco Marciano deserves some credit, the 24-year-old netminder has certainly done a great job of bolstering Montreal's push for the playoffs, despite his lack of NHL experience.
Jacob Dobbs, the first star of the week, emerges early in the first period. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Fw8GOEvjdT
- Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 31 March 2026
The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday facing the New York Rangers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.
