Tampa, Fla. – Nick Suzuki scores in a shootout and the Montreal Canadians beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 on Saturday night.
Suzuki defeated Brian Elliott in a Nifty backhander in the third round as Montreal won for the fourth time in 13 games (4-5-4).
Cole Cofield, Corey Schweinman, Josh Anderson and Jesse Ilonen scored for Montreal and Jake Allen stopped 36 shots.
Nikita Kuchcherov had one goal and two assists, and Steven Stamcos, Anthony Cirelli and Braden Point also scored for Lightning. Elliott has saved 26 runs as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions’ four-game winning streak has come to an end.
Ilonen knots 3 from the left circle at 2:18 of the third circle.
After starting scoring 8:57 in the Stamcos game, Cyril made it 2-0 with a short-handed goal in the first 13:32. It was the 10th short-handed score approved by Canadians who have the NHL’s second-worst powerplay.
The teams then conceded seven goals in the final 11:03 of the second half.
Cowfield scored in 2:59 at 8:57 but Kucherov’s power-play goal made it 3-1 to go to the period at 8:26.
It was Kucherov’s second goal of the last 16, but the right wing stretched to 15 assists.
Schweinman and Anderson’s two goals helped Montreal to a second goal from a deficit. Anderson tied it at 3 in the breakaway after Stamcos made a wrong pass with 4:10 left in the second.
Lightning up 4-3 with a power-play goal with 15.6 seconds left in points.
Welcome back
Martin St. Louis, a former Lightning star and member of the 2004 Stanley Cup champion team, returned to Tampa for the first time as Montreal’s interim head coach.
“I grew up here so to speak as a young adult,” St. Louis said before the game. “Staying in Tampa will always be special to me, whether I’m a coach or just going on a trip because it’s a big part of my life.”
Instructor’s room
Canadian: Center Ryan Pohling (upper body) is back after missing nine games and has one assist. … Sphere Kerry Price (knee) skated a few times last week and the team says his rehabilitation is going well.
Coming next
Canadian: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night.
Power: Host Toronto on Monday night to expand to three home games in four days.