Montreal won because Slafkovský scored all three of his goals on the power play — including the overtime winner at 1:22 — converting a 42.9% man-advantage that Tampa Bay's penalty discipline could not contain.
⚡TURNING POINT
Slafkovský's power-play goal at OT 1:22 ended the game before Tampa Bay could reset — a penalty in overtime is a near-unrecoverable structural disadvantage, and Montreal's 42.9% power play meant the infraction was effectively a concession. The Canadiens converted in under 90 seconds, making the kill Tampa never got.
🏆WHY MTL WON (ranked by impact — most decisive first)
1
Special Teams: 3/7 PP (42.9%) — Montreal's power play was the engine of the entire game, accounting for all three of Slafkovský's goals and the only overtime scoring chance that mattered.
2
Faceoff Dominance: 61.0% (36 of 59 won) — clean possession starts generated the zone time that repeatedly activated the power play and suppressed Tampa's transition game.
3
Defensive Volume: 17 blocked shots — Montreal sacrificed body position to protect against Tampa's 23-shot output, keeping the game within a one-goal margin that the power play could decide.
📉WHY TBL LOST (ranked by impact — biggest failure first)
1
Penalty Discipline: 14 PIM conceded, 7 power plays surrendered — gifting a 42.9% unit seven opportunities is the structural reason Tampa lost; six of those in regulation, one in overtime that ended the game.
2
Faceoff Collapse: 39.0% (23 of 59 won) — losing the dot this decisively robbed Tampa's skilled forwards of clean offensive-zone entries and handed Montreal repeated setup opportunities.
3
Power Play Underperformance: 2/6 (33.3%) — Tampa generated six man-advantages and converted only two; matching Montreal's conversion rate would have made this a different game entirely.
Three Stars
Juraj Slafkovský1st
MTL, L
3G3 PPG7 SOG21:11 TOI
Every Montreal goal he scored came on the power play — he was the sole reason Montreal's man-advantage decided the game.
Brandon Hagel2nd
TBL, L
2G3 SOG25:25 TOI+1
Hagel's goal output — including a power-play marker — was the only reason Tampa forced overtime and made this game competitive into the final minutes.
Nick Suzuki3rd
MTL, C
2A22:58 TOI2 PPG assists
Suzuki's two assists both came on power-play goals, including the overtime winner — his setup work directly constructed the Slafkovský hat trick.
