Juraj Slafkovsky's star turn steals home ice from Lightning

Juraj Slafkovsky, a surging Slovakian forward, silenced Tampa Bay on Sunday night.

At the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February, Slafkovsky scored four goals and added four assists. His native Slovakia fell to Finland in the bronze-medal match, but Slafkovsky has carried his form into the second half of the NHL season. He said Sunday that his success at the Olympics has helped his confidence.

Particularly, it feels like, against the Lightning.

Only 10 days ago, Slafkovsky delivered the game-winning goal in a regular-season matchup against Tampa Bay.

On Sunday, Montreal's budding star delivered an even more devastating encore.

Slafkovsky tied the score in the second period, gave his team the lead in the third and ended the game in overtime, only 82 seconds after it started. All three of his scores came on the power play, which is precisely what doomed the Lightning on Sunday. Tampa Bay had a penalty problem, and therefore, had a Juraj Slafkovsky problem.

A high-sticking penalty on Jake Guentzel with 21 seconds remaining in regulation set up the Canadiens with over a minute and a half of a man advantage in OT. The Lightning outshot Montreal and might have found a way to win at even-strength. But Slafkovsky found space in the left faceoff circle and sealed the game with a slap shot.

Marty St. Louis, a longtime Lightning forward who has led the Canadiens since 2022, has seen Slafkovsky experience the inconsistencies expected from a talented but young player. Slafkovsky, named the most valuable player of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 as a 17-year-old, has had to bide his time in the NHL since the Canadiens drafted him first overall a few months after his breakout showing in Beijing.

Now, his star turn appears to have arrived.

"As he's evolved the last year, there's not a lot of dips," St. Louis said.

There certainly wasn't on Sunday.

"It's been unbelievable, honestly," Canadiens forward Josh Anderson said of the stride Slafkovsky has taken. "He's a huge-time player for us. He's got a lot of confidence, a lot of swagger and I just love his game."

Anderson, who Slafkovsky said he has tried to model his game off of, started the scoring at 13:24 in the first period.

His protege took care of the rest, with linemates Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki helping Slafkovsky with two assists each.

"It's pretty nice. I like this feeling," Slafkovsky said when asked to describe the thrill of a hat trick and overtime winner.

D'Astous injured, James returns

Charle-Edouard D'Astous, a key defensemen for the Lightning, left Sunday's game after absorbing a punishing hit behind Tampa Bay's net.

Two Canadiens players combined to sandwich D'Astous, who stayed down for an extended period before skating off the ice under his own power. He left the game with 9:05 in the second period and did not return.

D'Astous, a 27-year-old rookie, has been a constant for a defenseman grouping that has seen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Emil Lilleberg all miss at least 30 games. As a team, the Lightning have 339 man games lost to injury, not including Hedman's leave of absence. D'Astous, who joined the team before the eighth game of the season, has played in 70 games this year, missing only four.

D'Astous' status is unclear for Game 2 on Tuesday. If he misses time, the Lightning likely will turn to either Declan Carlile or Maxwell Crozier.

Forward Dominic James, who had not played since sustaining a gruesome right leg injury in February, seemed to have his return to play sidetracked when he hobbled off the ice early in the first period, but he returned to the game. He played 7:18 and nine shifts.

"As the game went on, he got better and better," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "Great to see him back."

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 12:39 AM.