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Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky completes hat trick in OT to seal Game 1 Lightning win
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- Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky completes hat trick in OT to seal Game 1 Lightning win
Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky completes hat trick in OT to seal Game 1 Lightning win appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Montreal Canadiens withstood a blitz from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period of Game 1 to force overtime. In the end, their resilience paid off. The Canadiens have won Game 1, and they can thank winger Juraj Slafkovsky for his big-time performance.
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Slafkovsky scored two goals in regulation to help force overtime. In the extra frame, the Canadiens received a power play. Lane Hutson had the puck at the point, and found Slafkovsky down low. The former first-overall pick did not miss his shot , ending Game 1 and completing the hat trick.
Slafkovsky’s first goal came at a crucial time. The Canadiens were down 2-1 in the second period after Tampa scored twice in 29 seconds. Montreal needed something, so Slafkovsky’s late-period goal gave them momentum heading into the third.
Six minutes into the third, Slafkovsky struck again. The Canadiens, on another power play, took the lead thanks to his second goal of the game. Unfortunately, the lead lasted all of three minutes, as Brandon Hagel scored his second of the game to tie it in the third.
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According to the TNT broadcast, Slafkovsky is the first Montreal skater with a hat trick in the postseason since 2014. The last Canadiens scorer to complete this feat was Rene Bourque , who did so against the New York Rangers in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.
Montreal has a 1-0 series lead and a ton of momentum moving forward. The Canadiens and Lightning will retake the ice on Tuesday, with the Habs hoping to bring a 2-0 series home when the series shifts north of the border for Games 3 and 4.
Related: Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky stuns Lightning with feat not seen before in Habs history
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