Montréal CanadiensMTL 4–5 Final/SO Tampa Bay LightningTBL

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Final/SO 1st2nd3rdOTSO T SOG
Montréal CanadiensMTL 00400 4 35
Tampa Bay LightningTBL 03102 5 21

No impact calculated for this game. Impacts are calculated for games in the next 7 days.

Highlights

Scoring

1st Period
No scoring
2nd Period
2:28 TBL Nikita Kucherov (16) Gage Goncalves (7) · snap xG 0.23 0–1 ▶
12:11 TBL Nikita Kucherov (17) Brayden Point (15), Gage Goncalves (8) · snap xG 0.29 0–2 ▶
14:49 TBL Nick Paul (4) Oliver Bjorkstrand (11), Maxim Groshev (1) · snap xG 0.04 0–3 ▶
3rd Period
1:06 MTL Ivan Demidov (10) Juraj Slafkovský (15), Noah Dobson (18) · snap xG 0.17 1–3 ▶
1:40 TBL Pontus Holmberg (6) Oliver Bjorkstrand (12), Charle-Edouard D'Astous (9) · tip-in xG 0.04 1–4 ▶
9:16 MTL Juraj Slafkovský (12) Oliver Kapanen (9) · snap xG 0.12 2–4 ▶
12:17 MTL Noah Dobson (7) Cole Caufield (19), Mike Matheson (14) · snap xG 0.03 3–4 ▶
19:56 MTL Juraj Slafkovský (13) Ivan Demidov (22), Lane Hutson (31) · snap xG 0.07 4–4 ▶
Overtime
No scoring
Shootout
TBL Gage Goncalves vs Jacob Fowler Goal
MTL Ivan Demidov vs Jonas Johansson Missed
TBL Brayden Point vs Jacob Fowler Goal
MTL Cole Caufield vs Jonas Johansson Saved

Score away–home after each goal; season totals in parentheses.

Shot quality

Expected goals (xG) rate every unblocked shot by how often shots like it go in, from where it was taken, the shot type, the strength and what happened just before it. How it works

MTL 70%Deserve to win30% TBL
MTLTBL
4.79Expected goals4.37
4Goals (no shootout)4
3.24Expected goals, 5 on 52.76
86Shot attempts47
60Unblocked attempts34
35Shots on goal21

Game notes

What stood out as the game went on, from the play-by-play and the shifts. Time on the bench is counted in 5-on-5 play outside the penalty box; the note says the player sat, not why. Goals saved are against the shots' expected goals (xG).

2nd Period
7:40 TBL xG swing xG swing · Out-chanced MTL 1.24–0.17
In xG over 10 minutes, 17:40 of the 1st to 7:40 of the 2nd; goals 1–0
8:45 TBL Goalie Goalie · Johansson +2.1 goals saved
0 goals on 2.09 xG, 15 shots on goal
16:10 TBL No shift No shift · Sabourin, 32:34 on the bench
No shift after 16:46 of the 1st; 4 shifts (2:20) before that
3rd Period
13:40 MTL No shift No shift · Xhekaj, 15:11 on the bench
No shift after 3:32 of the 3rd; 9 shifts (7:15) before that
16:30 MTL xG swing xG swing · Out-chanced TBL 1.22–0.02
In xG over 10 minutes, 7:10 to 17:10 of the 3rd; goals 2–0
18:00 MTL Shortened bench Shortened bench · 2 forwards, 1 defenseman sat
Blais, Veleno and Struble: no shift after 8:26 of the 3rd
18:39 MTL Pulled goalie Pulled goalie · Pulled Fowler, down 4–3
With 1:21 left; MTL scored at 19:56 of the 3rd (4–4)

Shot map

MTL shoots ←Bigger circle: higher xG; filled: goal→ TBL shoots
Noah Dobson: wrist, 65 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 0:16) Juraj Slafkovský: wrist, 32 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 1:41) Ivan Demidov: snap, 37 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 2:11) Josh Anderson: snap, 7 ft, xG 0.21 (P1 3:47) Ivan Demidov: slap, 44 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 4:11) Nick Suzuki: bat, 7 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 4:25) Oliver Kapanen: snap, 34 ft, xG 0.07 (P1 5:09) Alexandre Carrier: tip-in, 54 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 5:58) Yanni Gourde: snap, 32 ft, xG 0.07 (P1 7:29) Pontus Holmberg: snap, 19 ft, xG 0.16 (P1 7:39) Zemgus Girgensons: wrist, 11 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 7:40) Phillip Danault: backhand, 29 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 7:50) Arber Xhekaj: slap, 57 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 11:26) Cole Caufield: slap, 27 ft, xG 0.10 (P1 12:28) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 12 ft, xG 0.45 (P1 12:31) Zachary Bolduc: slap, 36 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 14:22) Josh Anderson: snap, 17 ft, xG 0.16 (P1 15:02) Lane Hutson: snap, 58 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 16:49) Joseph Veleno: tip-in, 13 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 17:12) Anthony Cirelli: wrist, 27 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 18:46) Yanni Gourde: backhand, 14 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 0:46) Yanni Gourde: tip-in, 21 ft, xG 0.07 (P2 1:11) Gage Goncalves: snap, 23 ft, xG 0.08 (P2 1:46) Mike Matheson: snap, 59 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 2:00) Ivan Demidov: wrist, 26 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 2:02) Ivan Demidov: slap, 29 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 2:20) Gage Goncalves: snap, 20 ft, xG 0.21 (P2 5:50) J.J. Moser: wrist, 63 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 6:28) Anthony Cirelli: wrist, 22 ft, xG 0.18 (P2 7:14) Max Crozier: snap, 60 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 7:21) Anthony Cirelli: tip-in, 21 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 7:27) Brandon Hagel: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.28 (P2 7:32) Ivan Demidov: snap, 27 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 8:30) Oliver Kapanen: backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 8:34) Oliver Kapanen: snap, 7 ft, xG 0.23 (P2 8:36) Brendan Gallagher: snap, 16 ft, xG 0.20 (P2 8:45) Alexandre Texier: snap, 51 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 9:20) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 47 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 11:30) Gage Goncalves: snap, 17 ft, xG 0.21 (P2 12:07) Oliver Kapanen: tip-in, 11 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 13:49) Brendan Gallagher: tip-in, 20 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 13:58) Noah Dobson: snap, 51 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 14:10) Brandon Hagel: snap, 19 ft, xG 0.22 (P2 14:26) Oliver Bjorkstrand: wrist, 31 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 14:48) Jake Guentzel: tip-in, 7 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 16:09) Zachary Bolduc: snap, 45 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 16:23) Zemgus Girgensons: snap, 19 ft, xG 0.14 (P2 17:15) Sammy Blais: wrist, 40 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 18:09) Brayden Point: wrist, 9 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 18:21) Juraj Slafkovský: tip-in, 26 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 19:12) Noah Dobson: snap, 69 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 0:31) Noah Dobson: snap, 41 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 0:38) Oliver Kapanen: tip-in, 6 ft, xG 0.11 (P3 0:41) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 31 ft, xG 0.13 (P3 0:46) Arber Xhekaj: snap, 61 ft, xG 0.00 (P3 3:11) Oliver Kapanen: snap, 39 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 4:01) Declan Carlile: snap, 58 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 5:45) Alexandre Carrier: snap, 59 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 6:02) Charle-Edouard D'Astous: wrist, 36 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 6:42) Maxim Groshev: slap, 65 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 7:06) Charle-Edouard D'Astous: wrist, 63 ft, xG 0.00 (P3 7:11) Yanni Gourde: snap, 39 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 8:48) Oliver Kapanen: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 8:56) Ivan Demidov: snap, 8 ft, xG 0.25 (P3 8:58) Lane Hutson: snap, 51 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 10:10) Lane Hutson: snap, 28 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 11:34) Lane Hutson: snap, 58 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 13:20) Phillip Danault: tip-in, 11 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 13:31) Mike Matheson: wrap-around, 4 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 13:57) Noah Dobson: wrist, 39 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 14:35) Alexandre Carrier: snap, 8 ft, xG 0.21 (P3 14:57) Brendan Gallagher: snap, 4 ft, xG 0.09 (P3 14:58) Brendan Gallagher: snap, 3 ft, xG 0.14 (P3 14:58) Oliver Kapanen: snap, 43 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 16:12) Mike Matheson: snap, 27 ft, xG 0.11 (P3 16:21) Nick Paul: snap, 25 ft, xG 0.13 (P3 17:19) Pontus Holmberg: tip-in, 14 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 18:05) Ivan Demidov: slap, 50 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 18:43) Nikita Kucherov: wrist, 42 ft, xG 0.27 (P3 19:04) Nikita Kucherov: wrist, 9 ft, xG 0.69 (P3 19:11) Juraj Slafkovský: snap, 28 ft, xG 0.11 (OT 1:12) Nikita Kucherov: backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.23 (OT 2:00) Cole Caufield: snap, 27 ft, xG 0.11 (OT 2:55) Cole Caufield: snap, 34 ft, xG 0.11 (OT 3:38) Cole Caufield: snap, 30 ft, xG 0.18 (OT 3:45) Anthony Cirelli: wrist, 24 ft, xG 0.18 (OT 4:04) Nikita Kucherov: GOAL, snap, 20 ft, xG 0.23 (P2 2:28) Nikita Kucherov: GOAL, snap, 15 ft, xG 0.29 (P2 12:11) Nick Paul: GOAL, snap, 10 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 14:49) Ivan Demidov: GOAL, snap, 10 ft, xG 0.17 (P3 1:06) Pontus Holmberg: GOAL, tip-in, 22 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 1:40) Juraj Slafkovský: GOAL, snap, 35 ft, xG 0.12 (P3 9:16) Noah Dobson: GOAL, snap, 41 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 12:17) Juraj Slafkovský: GOAL, snap, 31 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 19:56)
About these numbers

xG comes from hockeystats.io's own model, a gradient-boosted tree model trained on every unblocked shot from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 regular seasons using the NHL's public play-by-play. Each shot's value is the share of similar shots that became goals. A team's xG is the sum over its shots; "deserve to win" asks how often the team would outscore its opponent if every shot went in at exactly that rate. Blocked shots count as attempts but have no xG (the NHL records where they were blocked, not where they were taken), so the map leaves them out.

Box score

Montréal Canadiens

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
14 Nick Suzuki 000 +1 30.03 2022:43
13 Cole Caufield 011 +1 50.51 1122:42
20 Juraj Slafkovský 213 +1 91.00 0020:27
93 Ivan Demidov 112 +2 110.69 1018:26
24 Phillip Danault 000 -1 30.10 2016:52
76 Zachary Bolduc 000 0 20.09 5116:48
91 Oliver Kapanen 011 +1 80.76 0216:20
17 Josh Anderson 000 -2 20.36 4016:17
85 Alexandre Texier 000 0 30.01 1014:34
7 Brendan Gallagher 000 0 50.51 1013:42
90 Joseph Veleno 000 -1 20.05 2009:43
0 Sammy Blais 000 0 20.01 1108:22
Defense
48 Lane Hutson 011 +1 80.08 0228:13
53 Noah Dobson 112 0 110.16 2327:29
8 Mike Matheson 011 0 70.17 0026:37
45 Alexandre Carrier 000 -1 30.23 0118:56
3 Jayden Struble 000 0 00.00 1008:51
72 Arber Xhekaj 000 -1 20.05 3007:15
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jacob Fowler 21417 .810 3.41 -0.59

Tampa Bay Lightning

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
38 Brandon Hagel 000 -2 50.51 1221:25
86 Nikita Kucherov 202 +1 71.72 1019:48
59 Jake Guentzel 000 -2 20.09 1018:42
71 Anthony Cirelli 000 -2 40.45 0218:06
21 Brayden Point 011 +1 10.05 0116:38
20 Nick Paul 101 +2 20.17 0016:05
37 Yanni Gourde 000 -1 60.22 1115:46
28 Zemgus Girgensons 000 -1 20.19 2114:52
93 Gage Goncalves 022 +2 30.51 0213:51
28 Oliver Bjorkstrand 022 +2 10.04 1013:27
29 Pontus Holmberg 101 0 30.28 2012:25
49 Scott Sabourin 000 0 00.00 1002:20
Defense
43 Darren Raddysh 000 0 00.00 1124:44
90 J.J. Moser 000 0 30.02 1324:28
24 Max Crozier 000 -1 10.00 2523:41
72 Declan Carlile 000 -2 20.02 2320:01
51 Charle-Edouard D'Astous 011 +2 40.08 1117:38
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jonas Johansson 35431 .886 4.79 +0.79

Skaters by time on ice. Goalie lines count shots with the goalie in net, from the NHL play-by-play.

Player ratings

What each player added to the result, in goals, from most to least. Hover a number for what it's made of.

Montréal Canadiens

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
20 Juraj Slafkovský L +3.74 +2.20 +0.65 +0.89 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 20:27
93 Ivan Demidov R +3.55 +1.45 +0.45 +1.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 18:26
91 Oliver Kapanen C +2.59 +0.70 +0.49 +1.32 0.00 -0.02 +0.10 — 16:20
53 Noah Dobson D +2.46 +1.30 +0.11 +0.85 0.00 0.00 +0.21 — 27:29
8 Mike Matheson D +2.43 +0.55 +0.11 +1.79 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 26:37
48 Lane Hutson D +1.10 +0.55 +0.05 +0.40 0.00 0.00 +0.10 — 28:13
11 Brendan Gallagher R +0.85 0.00 +0.33 +0.51 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 13:42
45 Alexandre Carrier D +0.57 0.00 +0.15 +0.35 0.00 0.00 +0.07 — 18:56
27 Sammy Blais L +0.49 0.00 +0.01 +0.44 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 8:22
13 Cole Caufield R +0.26 +0.70 +0.33 -0.81 0.00 +0.01 +0.03 — 22:42
90 Joseph Veleno C +0.09 0.00 +0.03 +0.02 0.00 +0.04 0.00 — 9:43
24 Phillip Danault C -0.15 0.00 +0.06 -0.42 +0.15 +0.08 -0.02 — 16:52
17 Josh Anderson R -0.22 0.00 +0.24 -0.58 +0.15 -0.02 0.00 — 16:17
85 Alexandre Texier L -0.31 0.00 +0.01 -0.30 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 14:34
32 Jacob Fowler G -0.59 0.00 — — 0.00 — — -0.59 63:43
14 Nick Suzuki C -0.75 0.00 +0.02 -0.78 0.00 +0.06 -0.04 — 22:43
47 Jayden Struble D -0.89 0.00 0.00 -0.85 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 8:51
76 Zachary Bolduc R -0.94 0.00 +0.06 -1.06 0.00 0.00 +0.07 — 16:48
72 Arber Xhekaj D -1.53 0.00 +0.03 -1.54 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 7:15

Tampa Bay Lightning

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
86 Nikita Kucherov R +2.25 +1.50 +1.12 -0.17 -0.15 0.00 -0.04 — 19:48
93 Gage Goncalves C +1.99 +1.25 +0.33 +0.32 0.00 -0.01 +0.10 — 13:51
29 Pontus Holmberg R +1.47 +0.75 +0.18 +0.54 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 12:25
22 Oliver Bjorkstrand R +1.35 +1.40 +0.03 -0.05 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 13:27
43 Darren Raddysh D +1.22 0.00 0.00 +1.19 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 24:44
31 Jonas Johansson G +0.79 0.00 — — 0.00 — — +0.79 65:00
37 Yanni Gourde C +0.71 0.00 +0.15 +0.52 0.00 -0.01 +0.05 — 15:46
90 J.J. Moser D +0.58 0.00 +0.01 +0.46 0.00 0.00 +0.11 — 24:28
71 Anthony Cirelli C +0.51 0.00 +0.29 +0.13 0.00 -0.05 +0.14 — 18:06
28 Zemgus Girgensons C +0.51 0.00 +0.12 +0.34 0.00 -0.01 +0.05 — 14:52
20 Nick Paul L +0.37 +0.75 +0.11 -0.29 -0.15 -0.05 0.00 — 16:05
51 Charle-Edouard D'Astous D +0.31 +0.55 +0.05 -0.11 -0.15 0.00 -0.03 — 17:38
38 Brandon Hagel L +0.07 0.00 +0.33 -0.31 0.00 -0.01 +0.06 — 21:25
46 Scott Sabourin R -0.03 0.00 0.00 -0.02 0.00 -0.01 0.00 — 2:20
52 Maxim Groshev D -0.24 +0.55 +0.01 -0.83 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 13:03
67 Declan Carlile D -0.45 0.00 +0.01 -0.72 +0.15 0.00 +0.11 — 20:01
21 Brayden Point C -0.59 +0.70 +0.03 -1.36 0.00 -0.01 +0.05 — 16:38
24 Max Crozier D -0.64 0.00 0.00 -0.74 -0.15 0.00 +0.25 — 23:41
59 Jake Guentzel C -0.74 0.00 +0.06 -0.77 0.00 +0.01 -0.04 — 18:42

An expected-goals take on Dom Luszczyszyn's Game Score: goals and assists, the quality of a player's own shots, shot quality for and against while they were on the ice at 5v5, penalties, faceoffs and puck plays, all in goals; goalies by goals saved above expected. From the NHL play-by-play and shift charts.