Caufield scoreless, Dobes chased, and more: 3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens lost 5-3 to Tampa Bay Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens dropped their final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre on Sunday night. The Lightning held back the Canadiens’ surge as they cut the lead to one goal midway through the third, but could not find the equalizer.

Brendan Gallagher scored twice for the Montreal Canadiens with Christian Dvorak adding his sixth of the year in the losing effort. Meanwhile, Nick Paul, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point (PPG), Zgmys Girgensons, and Anthony Cirelli (EN) scored for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Here are the three key reasons why the Montreal Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night.

3 reasons why Montreal Canadiens lost to Tampa Bay Lightning

#3 Awful penalty kill

The Montreal Canadiens played a disciplined game on Sunday night, taking just one minor penalty. Unfortunately, that single minor penalty resulted in a Tampa Bay power play goal. The goal by Brayden Point was his 31st of the season, and it opened up a two-goal lead for Tampa.

Here’s a look at the goal:

The goal resulted from a grossly misplayed situation by Habs goalie Jakub Dobes, allowing Point to easily bury the puck into the open net. The Lightning eventually took a 4-1 lead, which they held onto for the road win.

#2 Caufield scoreless

Montreal Canadiens top scorer Cole Caufield had a rough outing on Sunday night. The American winger went scoreless on the night in nearly 21 minutes of ice time. He appeared in 25 shifts, getting five shots on goal and a blocked shot.

Given how close they got to the Lightning, a goal from Caufield could have made the difference in the game. However, Caufield failed to be that difference-maker. Similarly, captain Nick Suzuki failed to get on the scoresheet, holding the Canadiens back against the Lightning.

#1 Dobes chased

Montreal netminder Jakub Dobes had a dreadful outing on Sunday night. Dobes gave up three goals on eight shots, prompting coach Martin St. Louis to give him the hook following Point’s power play goal.

However, Dobes didn’t look very good in the first two goals, either. While Dobes can’t be blamed entirely for the second goal, Dobes hardly looked good on Nick Paul’s opening goal.

Here’s a look at the tally:

The replay showed how Paul fooled Dobes, easily lifting the puck over the goalie's left pad. The goal set the tone for Dobes’ worst outing of his career.

The Canadiens limp into the 4 Nations Face-Off break on a three-game losing streak. The Habs will hit the ice again on February 22 against the Ottawa Senators.