Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, in a potential first-round preview between two clubs that do not shy away from demonstrating their hatred for each other.
Between the fights, slashes, and ugly plays, Habs sniper Cole Caufield scored his 50th goal of the year, power forward Juraj Slafkovsky scored his 30th, and the Canadiens secured a very important 2-1 win versus the Bolts.
Let’s dive into the highlights!
Throwing Jabs
It was a low-event first period, all things considered. A little more than half of the frame was played at 5v5, which means the bevy of powerplays led to very few scoring opportunities. It was akin to a pair of heavyweight boxers feeling each other out in the first round of a championship fight.
Or, perhaps more accurately, the first round of a backyard brawl, the kind that would end up on VHS, sold at bootleg markets in the 1990s.
Either way, the first period represented the calm before the proverbial Darude Sandstorm.
Half A Century
The second period featured less than eight minutes of even-strength play, but it was enough for Caufield to find the back of the net for the 50th time this season.
It should be noted that Caufield’s 50 goals do not include a single empty-net marker. In fact, Caufield has not padded his career totals with a single empty-net goal, but I digress.
Appropriately, Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki provided the assists on the scoring play.
COLE CAUFIELD IS A 50-GOAL SCORER 🚨🔥 pic.twitter.com/WXR9G2TFyF
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 10, 2026
Throwing Haymakers
Even before the violence took centre stage, it was quite clear the Habs and Bolts did not need much encouragement in the physical department. The teams were at each other’s throats all nights long, a common occurrence any time an NHL team faces a club based in Florida.
Montreal did a good job controlling the scoring plays, not to mention responding to Tampa’s classic, yet frustrating style of play.
It was Josh Anderson who eventually provided the spark necessary to get the fire roaring.
The shenanigans between the Habs and the Lightning started with Anderson and D'Astous. #GoHabsGo #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/fuAnomkidu
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) April 10, 2026
The Lightning took particular notice of Anderson’s physicality whenever Nikita Kucherov was on the ice, leading to a rather one-sided fight between the Canadiens forward and Declan Carlile.
"I immediately regret this decision!" – Carlile after chasing down Anderson for a fight. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/bCbRjR1nRA
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) April 10, 2026
Late Game Momentum Change
Once the players had calmed down a little and the inefficient powerplays made way for 5v5 hockey, the Bolts seized the moment, tying the game in the dying minutes of the third period.
Fortunately for the Habs, Slafkovsky did not take long to respond, scoring his 30th goal of the season, and becoming the first Slovak to reach 30 goals since Marian Hossa did it in 2013-14.
Juraj Slafkovský has 30 goals! He's the first Slovak to hit 30 since Marián Hossa in 2013-14.
— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) April 10, 2026
His goal gives the #GoHabsGo an important 2-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/rVovUhE8mV
The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Saturday, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
