Jake Evans scored the go-ahead goal with 2:15 left in regulation, rookie Lane Hutson matched an NHL record and the Montreal Canadiens stayed hot with a 3-2 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
The fourth line produced at the key moment as Joel Armia notched his 200th career point with a pass that Evans one-timed past goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (19 saves) for his second game-winning goal against Tampa Bay this season.
Hutson earned a helper on Juraj Slafkovsky’s marker to give the 20-year-old a dozen assists during a nine-game assist streak, tying Shayne Gostisbehere (2015-16 Philadelphia Flyers) for the longest streak by a rookie defenseman.
Montreal’s Alex Newhook found the back of the net, while Patrik Laine posted two assists in his 499th NHL game. Goalie Sam Montembeault stopped 33 shots to earn his career-high 17th win for Montreal, which has won seven of its last nine (7-1-1).
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov tallied to move his points streak to an 10 games, the longest active run in the NHL. Jake Guentzel also potted one for the Lightning, who are 3-8-0 against the Atlantic Division and have lost the first two contests on a four-game road trip.
The Lightning, who lost 5-3 in Toronto the night before, grabbed the first goal when Montreal’s Kaiden Guhle got turned around on an entry flip. Kucherov found the bobbling puck and jammed it past Montembeault at 14:20 of the first period to extend his streak.
However, Montembeault and the Canadiens’ penalty-kill unit kept it a one-goal game by killing off two power plays resulting from infractions to Mike Matheson and Hutson.
The Lightning held an 11-5 edge in shots on goal in the opening period.
The visitors went up 2-0 after hard work by Michael Eyssimont led to him wrapping a pass around the goal and into the slot. Guentzel then popped in the even-strength marker at 2:45 of the second.
On their second power play, the Canadiens trimmed the deficit to 2-1 at 5:32 of the second. Slafkovsky tallied for the third time in four games on a sharp-angled shot at the near post.
During a strong possession, Newhook one-timed the equalizer from above the high slot less than two minutes later.
–Field Level Media
