Slafkovsky 1st playoff hat trick fuels Habs' upset

The Canadiens are seeking their first Stanley Cup since winning their NHL record 24th in 1993. They haven't won a playoff series since the Lightning beat them in the Cup Final in 2021.

A year later, they drafted Slafkovsky, who became the first player in NHL history, according to ESPN Research, with three power-play goals, including one being an overtime winner, in any postseason game.

"It's been unbelievable, honestly," Anderson said of Slafkovsky's development. "This year, he obviously took a huge stride. He's a power forward, a big guy, and it's just hard to stop him."

Hagel's power-play goal -- a tip-in off a precise pass by Jake Guentzel 8:58 into the third -- tied it at 3-3 a few minutes after Slafkovsky put Montreal ahead.

Slafkovsky's shot from the high slot slid under Vasilevskiy's left pad for a short-lived lead. He one-timed a perfect seam pass from Ivan Demidov into the net from the right circle to make it 2-2 in the final minute of the second.

Along the way, he became the 22nd different Canadiens player to record a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, according to ESPN Research.

Raddysh tied it at 1 with a powerful slap shot in the second. The Lightning quickly went ahead 2-1 just 29 seconds later when Hagel picked up a loose puck from the side of the net and backhanded a shot past Dobes.

Montreal's fourth line gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead in the first when Anderson flipped a top-shelf shot into an open net.

Anderson had another goal overturned by video review midway through the second period. He deflected Mike Matheson's slap shot past Vasilevskiy but it was waved off because his stick was above the crossbar.

In the loss, Tampa Bay saw the return of center Dominic James, who was activated from long-term injured reserve earlier in the day. James, 23, missed the final 24 games of the regular season with a lower body injury, undergoing surgery back in March. He skated with the fourth line, playing nine shifts that covered 7:18 time on the ice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.