In an exciting Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round, Juraj Slafkovsky delivered a standout performance for the Montreal Canadiens, scoring a hat trick and netting the game-winning goal in overtime to secure a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena. The Canadiens took the lead in the series, now sitting at 1-0. Slafkovsky's first two goals came during power plays, with his third goal sealing the win just 1:22 into overtime after a high-sticking penalty against Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel. Despite a shaky night for Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who allowed four goals on just 19 shots, the game featured multiple lead changes, with Josh Anderson scoring first for Montreal and Brandon Hagel netting two goals for Tampa Bay. This marks Slafkovsky's first playoff hat trick and the first for a Canadiens player since Rene Bourque in 2014. The Canadiens will look to build on this momentum in Game 2 on Tuesday night in Tampa.