Jake Evans continues goal streak to help Canadiens past Lightning

Field Level Media|published: Sun 29th December, 20:31 2024

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers

Dec 28, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (13) celebrates with left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Jake Evans scored in his fifth straight game, Alexandre Carrier had two assists and the visiting Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Sunday.

Evans delivered the eventual game-winner to put Montreal up 3-1 with 1:32 left in the second period. Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov answered 26 seconds later, but Joel Armia and Brendan Gallagher each scored in the third to seal the Canadiens' fifth win in six games.

Sam Montembeault stopped 21 shots as Montreal improved to 2-1-0 on its season-long six-game road trip. The Canadiens beat the Panthers 4-0 on Saturday in the first game of their Florida back-to-back.

Alex Newhook and Christian Dvorak also scored for Montreal, which killed all three Lightning power plays while allowing just one shot.

Brandon Hagel also scored for Tampa Bay and Jonas Johansson made 32 saves. Lightning left winger Jake Guentzel, second on the team with 20 goals, was scratched before the game and replaced on the top line by Cam Atkinson.

The Canadiens went up 1-0 at 12:07 in the first when Newhook buried Mike Matheson's feed to end his eight-game goal drought.

The home side jumped out fast in the second period when Hagel stole a poked pass by Carrier, skated in on Montembeault and delivered the equalizer on the glove side just 37 seconds in.

Montreal regained the lead at 12:34 when Kaiden Guhle sent a long shot through traffic that clipped Dvorak for a 2-1 lead.

About six minutes later, Evans capitalized on a two-on-one when he rang in a shot off the post for a two-goal cushion. Kucherov tucked in a puck behind Montembeault to cut it to 3-2 with 1:06 left in the second.

Tampa Bay started slowly in the third as Montreal fired the first seven shots.

The Canadiens finally broke through behind their fourth line, with Emil Heineman outworking defenseman Nick Perbix before to Armia, who finished off a two-on-zero break at 12:32.

Gallagher potted a goal into the empty net with 1:52 remaining to close the scoring.

--Field Level Media