Historic power‑play hat trick

Juraj Slafkovsky opened his National Hockey League playoff career with three power-play goals, including the overtime winner in Montreal’s 4-3 Game 1 win over Tampa Bay on April 19. (nhl.com) The winning shot came 1:22 into overtime from the left faceoff circle after Lightning forward Jake Guentzel took a high-sticking minor with 21 seconds left in regulation. Montreal went 3-for-5 on the power play, and every one of those goals came from Slafkovsky. (nhl.com) Slafkovsky tied the game 2-2 with 24 seconds left in the second period, put Montreal ahead 3-2 at 5:56 of the third, and then ended it in overtime. Josh Anderson scored Montreal’s other goal, while Brandon Hagel scored twice for Tampa Bay and Darren Raddysh added one. (nhl.com) The performance put the 22-year-old into a narrow slice of league and franchise history. NHL.com said he became the first Canadiens player since goals by type began being tracked in 1933-34 to score three power-play goals in a playoff game. (nhl.com) Montreal entered the series as the Atlantic Division’s No. 3 seed after a 48-24-10 regular season, while Tampa Bay finished second in the division at 50-26-6. The Canadiens stole home ice in the opener and had a chance to take a 2-0 series lead in Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21, in Tampa. (espn.com, nhl.com) The night also fit the larger arc of Slafkovsky’s season. NHL.com reported that the 2022 No. 1 overall pick reached 30 goals for the first time in his fourth National Hockey League season after combining his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame with a more direct scoring game. (nhl.com) Coach Martin St. Louis said Slafkovsky “played to his identity,” and goalie Jakub Dobes called him “a big-time player” after the win. Slafkovsky said he saw open space on the overtime goal and shot it. (cbc.ca, nhl.com) For Montreal, the immediate test was whether Game 1 was a single night or a series turn. For Slafkovsky, his first playoff game already left the Canadiens heading into Game 2 with the lead. (nhl.com, nhl.com)