Canadiens host Tampa in final game before 4 Nations break

The Montreal Canadiens have dropped six of their last seven contests, winning only against the last-place San Jose Sharks, heading into a matchup at the Bell Centre against Brayden Point and the potent Tampa Bay Lightning squad.

Tampa Bay has the distinction of boasting four 20-plus goalscorers, including Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel. While Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli are just a hop, skip and a jump away from reaching 20 goals on the season. In comparison, only Cole Caufield (26 goals) has more than 20, and Nick Suzuki is the next closest with 15.

Montreal isn't exactly the David to Tampa's Goliath, it just isn't that way this year, as the Bolts are no longer sitting first in their division or the Eastern conference. But the Habs are hobbling into the 4 Nations Faceoff break, and for that reason, this team is likely to be sellers at the Trade Deadline, rather than buyers. Tampa, on the other hand, is primed for another deep Stanley Cup playoff run.

Two things to watch for

- Cole Caufield is approaching his previous career-high in goals (28), a feat that took him a full 82 games during the 2023-24 season. Caufield's matchup with the Lightning is his 56th game of the season, so there is plenty of time to go. But scoring a hat trick against Tampa, the team that manhandled the Habs in the 2020 Stanley Cup final would be pretty rewarding.

Establishing a new career-high (29 goals) against Kucherov and the Bolts on home ice, now that's poetic.

- Juraj Slafkovsky's next point will be his 30th of the season, and today's game against Tampa is his 53rd of the season. I think the issue is less that he is playing so poorly that it's alarming, but more that signs of progression aren't easily identifiable, in the way most would like. Slafkovsky scored 50 points last season, and from the midway point of the season on, he was tremendous.

This season he hasn't been tremendous, and there have been far fewer displays of the dogged forechecking and puck retrievals, and his passing sequences look rough and unpolished. He needs 21 points over his final 27 games to match last year's total. A couple of points against Tampa before the break could do Slaf's confidence some good.

Now for the game

After making an awful pass to Cole Caufield's feet that resulted in a turnover that turned into a goal, Slafkovsky earned himself a benching from head coach Martin St Louis. Tampa doesn't need help getting onto the board. Nick Paul caught Jakub Dobes going one way and backhanded the puck top shelf into a wide-open net.

Victor Hedman found himself in a glorious opportunity to challenge Dobes, and he made no mistake firing a shot five-hole. Hedman's eighth goal of the season is his 43rd point of the season. Safe to say the big Swede is feeling confident heading into the 4 Nations Faceoff.

Notably, Slafkovsky remains stapled to the bench, with Jake Evans taking regular shifts alongside Nick Suzuki and Caufield on the Canadiens' number-one line.

I hate to say it, but on a line with Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak, Slafkovsky looks to be playing better. I think there is an aspect to his game that is best suited to be developed against bigger, stronger checking lines. This will allow Slafkovsky, and require him to play more physically to protect the puck and wear down the opposition; either through cycling the puck or bull rushing it through the neutral zone.

Dvorak and Gallagher are meat and potatoes players, and once Slafkovsky adopts that style into his game, only then will he thrive. He is skilled to a fault because if it works he will continue trying the finesse plays. The tried-and-true plays are his bread and butter, however, and the Habs will have a tremendous power forward when he plays with more bite.

Josh Anderson, who has been playing like a workhorse, using the powerhorse game to discourage defenders and challenge them in open ice. He broke in against Vasilevskiy, and Victor Hedman interfered with him. The referee awarded No.17 with a penalty shot, but Anderson muffed his shot.

The penalty shot was the second for a Canadiens in the past two games, Owen Beck missed his against Jake Allen. Beck is still in search of his first NHL goal, but it isn't for lack of trying.

St. Louis's make-shift line of Gallagher-Dvorak-Slafkovsky earned a power play, with Darren Raddysh earning the gate for high-sticking Slafkovsky. Just as the Habs drew it up, the first unit failed to score. Gallagher beat Vasilevskiy just under his blocker, taking advantage of a great drop pass from Alex Newhook.

Unfortunately, while the goal was still being announced over the p.a., Mike Matheson took a minor for interference with 38 seconds left in the period. But the Habs pushed through to the intermission down just a goal.

Even without Nikita Kucherov in the lineup, the Lightning are still a lethal team. After allowing three goals on eight shots, and not getting much run support, St. Louis pulled Dobes in favour of Samuel Montembeault. Almost immediately, Montembeault robbed Gage Goncalves point-blank.

Whatever it is that Anderson is eating or drinking, Slafkovsky needs some of it. Anderson has had nearly three breakaways - if not for a late offside whistle - in the first six and a half minutes of the second period.

Anderson went zero for two, and the Habs surrendered a goal just moments later. Zemgus Girgensons scored his first goal of the year, putting the Bolts up by three goals. The Canadiens lead in the shot department 20-12, but they can't buy another goal, they're still in debt for Gallagher's.

Well, in a weird turn of events, Slafkovsky seems loose and comfortable, and his line has been the best of the four Canadiens lines. Dvorak put the finishing touches on a nice feed from David Savard, and Slafkovsky, sniping a shot past Vasilevskiy.

With the clock bleeding down below the two-minute mark, the Canadiens held Tampa in their zone for close to a minute. They fed Tampa a bit of their own medicine, though a goal for their effort didn't materialize.

Montreal heads into the second intermission in familiar fashion, trailing the Lightning by two goals.

3:14 into the final frame, Luke Glendening took a minor penalty for tripping Laine, and once again the second unit is on the ice. The first unit failed to capitalize on the man advantage, and the same can be said for unit two also.

But the Canadiens showed tons of heart, and resiliency battling to beat Vasilevskiy. Gallagher hopped on a loose puck just inside the left faceoff dot and slung a wrister over No.88's left shoulder. The tally marked No.11's second goal of the game, bringing his total to 14, one behind Suzuki.

With over nine minutes left in the game, the Canadiens have clawed back into this one. It isn't over yet, Gallagher is on hat trick watch.

I can't figure out how Beck doesn't have two or three points, because he creates so much with his speed, and never shies away from shooting the puck. It hasn't come yet, his first NHL goal, but it has to be on the horizon.

The Canadiens' net is vacant, in hopes of tying the game at six on five, and the boys are buzzing in Tampa's zone. But Vasilevskiy is playing spoiler to this point. With 48 seconds to play, Marty calls a timeout to draw up a plan for his troops.

With the clock at 15.5 seconds, Cirelli iced the game, but the decisions throughout the game led up to this result. 5-3 Tampa, and the Canadiens have shown their true colours.

Beck has been one of the Habs best

It's sad to say it, but if the kettle is black, then you tell it like it is; Owen Beck has been the Habs' best forward since arriving in Montreal. The team is struggling, but Beck is playing a very mature game, and I think has cemented himself in the lineup. You can move Christian Dvorak now, and get some draft capital because Beck is here.

Every time he is on the ice, there is a certain level of calmness about him, not cockiness. He is aware that he can disrupt the opposition, and his speed is enough of a threat that if he forces a turnover, he is gone. But he is so responsible, that he scans and looks for outlets and he constantly keeps his head up and feet moving.

On Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils, Beck had another strong game and had the opportunity to net his first NHL goal on a penalty shot. He failed to capitalize against former Canadien Jake Allen, who held the door shut tightly against Montreal, en route to a 4-0 blanking of the Habs. But Beck was all over the ice, making smart plays and displaying some great defensive awareness.

I believe that Beck deserves to be playing centre, on the fourth line if necessary. But I believe that he is better than Dvorak right now, and if given the opportunity he will be strong in faceoff dot. Montreal needs to consistently win faceoffs, and having Beck will help with that, which will give the Canadiens plenty more zone starts with the puck.

Beck is going to be a huge part of the Canadiens' future, and the thought of him playing with Emil Heineman and maybe Alex Newhook is an intriguing one for sure.