In a disappointing start to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning fell to the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime, with coach Jon Cooper attributing the loss to 'stupidity' in the form of excessive penalties. Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky scored a hat trick, all on power plays, as Montreal capitalized on the Lightning's four offensive-zone penalties. Cooper expressed frustration over the team's discipline, particularly with a high-sticking penalty by Jake Guentzel that allowed the Canadiens to secure the winning goal in overtime. Despite the Lightning's strong regular-season penalty kill, ranked third at 82.6%, they struggled post-Olympic break, dropping to 79.8%. Cooper emphasized that the number of penalties taken was more critical than the penalty kill's performance. He acknowledged that losing Game 1 is not uncommon for the Lightning but stressed the need for improved discipline moving forward. The teams will meet again for Game 2 on Tuesday in Tampa, Florida.