Montréal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Montréal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec 28, 2025. Final score: Montréal Canadiens 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 5.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 28, 2025 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Montréal Canadiens score | 4 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 5 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Juraj Slafkovský | L | 2 | 1 | 5 | 20:27 | 0.61 | 2.14 |
| 2nd | Noah Dobson | D | 1 | 1 | 5 | 27:29 | 0.12 | 1.79 |
| 3rd | Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 3 | 18:26 | 0.74 | 1.44 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Montréal Canadiens–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 02:28 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Gage Goncalves | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 12:11 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Brayden Point, Gage Goncalves | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 14:49 | TBL | Nick Paul | Oliver Bjorkstrand, Maxim Groshev | 5v5 | 0–3 |
| 3rd 01:06 | MTL | Ivan Demidov | Juraj Slafkovský, Noah Dobson | 5v5 | 1–3 |
| 3rd 01:40 | TBL | Pontus Holmberg | Oliver Bjorkstrand, Charle-Edouard D'Astous | 5v5 | 1–4 |
| 3rd 09:16 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Oliver Kapanen | 5v5 | 2–4 |
| 3rd 12:17 | MTL | Noah Dobson | Cole Caufield, Mike Matheson | 5v5 | 3–4 |
| 3rd 19:56 | MTL | Juraj Slafkovský | Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson | 5v6 | 4–4 |
| P5 00:00 | TBL | Gage Goncalves | — | 1v0 | 4–4 |
| P5 00:00 | TBL | Brayden Point | — | 1v0 | 4–4 |
Team Comparison
| Montréal Canadiens | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 5 |
| Shots on goal | 35 | 21 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 5.24 | 3.88 |
| High-danger shots | 21 | 13 |
| Corsi % | 64.2% | 35.8% |
| Power play | 0/4 | 0/1 |
| Faceoff % | 62.7% | 37.3% |
| Hits | 26 | 17 |
| Blocks | 11 | 23 |
| Giveaways | 12 | 18 |
| Takeaways | 8 | 3 |
Montréal Canadiens Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juraj Slafkovský | L | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 20:27 | 0.61 | 2.14 |
| Noah Dobson | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 27:29 | 0.12 | 1.79 |
| Ivan Demidov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18:26 | 0.74 | 1.44 |
| Oliver Kapanen | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 16:20 | 0.84 | 0.74 |
| Lane Hutson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 28:13 | 0.06 | 0.74 |
| Cole Caufield | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:42 | 0.29 | 0.69 |
| Mike Matheson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26:37 | 0.19 | 0.59 |
| Zachary Bolduc | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:48 | 0.10 | 0.35 |
| Josh Anderson | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:17 | 0.34 | 0.20 |
| Joe Veleno | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:43 | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Sammy Blais | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:22 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Alexandre Carrier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:56 | 0.21 | 0.10 |
| Brendan Gallagher | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:42 | 0.84 | 0.05 |
| Phillip Danault | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:52 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| Nick Suzuki | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:43 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| Jayden Struble | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:51 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Alexandre Texier | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:34 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
| Arber Xhekaj | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:15 | 0.04 | -0.27 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13:51 | 0.35 | 1.38 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 19:48 | 0.97 | 1.30 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13:27 | 0.06 | 1.28 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12:25 | 0.24 | 0.85 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:38 | 0.06 | 0.69 |
| Maxim Groshev | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13:03 | 0.01 | 0.64 |
| Nick Paul | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16:05 | 0.24 | 0.60 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:38 | 0.06 | 0.39 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:41 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18:06 | 0.40 | 0.20 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:52 | 0.27 | 0.15 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:01 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:28 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:46 | 0.21 | 0.10 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:25 | 0.38 | 0.05 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:44 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:42 | 0.15 | -0.05 |
| Scott Sabourin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2:20 | 0.00 | -0.33 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Fowler | Montréal Canadiens | 17 | 21 | 81.0% | 0.89 | O |
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 31 | 35 | 88.6% | -0.01 | W |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montréal Canadiens 5–4 on Dec 28, 2025, a one-goal game.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.88 expected goals to Montréal Canadiens's 5.24 — Montréal Canadiens owned the better of the chances but Tampa Bay Lightning took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Juraj Slafkovský led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.14 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 shots on goal.
Jacob Fowler stopped 17 of 21, worth 0.89 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Montréal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montréal Canadiens 5–4 on Dec 28, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Montréal Canadiens 4.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Juraj Slafkovský led all skaters at 2.14, on 2G, 1A and 5 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.88 expected goals and Montréal Canadiens generated 5.24, so Montréal Canadiens created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Montréal Canadiens put 35 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 21. High-danger chances went 21 to 13.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jacob Fowler stopped 17 of 21 (0.89 goals saved above expected); Jonas Johansson stopped 31 of 35 (-0.01 goals saved above expected).