In the first period of the Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning game, at the 16:35 mark, Arber Xhekaj engaged in a physical altercation with Erik Cernak. Cernak initiated the confrontation with a hit to Arber Xhekaj's face behind the goal, prompting a swift response from Arber Xhekaj.
The altercation escalated into a brief brawl involving players from both teams. At that point in the game, the Canadiens were leading 1-0.
The fight lasted a mere 5 seconds, with Slovak defender Cernak swiftly ending it. Both players received 5-minute penalties for fighting. Cernak's penalty was served by Michael Eyssimont.
Fans took to social media platforms to express their opinions on the fight.
Despite the intense moment, the Tampa Bay Lightning emerged victorious with a 4-3 shootout win over the Canadiens. The Canadiens' loss marked their second consecutive defeat and their seventh loss in the last eight games.
Arber Xhekaj's aggression overshadowed as the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Montreal Canadiens
Armia was the first to score for the Montreal Canadiens. This happened quickly 1:27 into the first period. He took a smooth, accurate shot during a 2-on-1 rush. This put his team on top 1-0.
At 14:34, Evans made their lead larger. With the Canadiens leading 2-0. He got the puck past Vasilevskiy after a pass from Gallagher.
Brayden Point, of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was the next scorer in the second period at 7:44. With help from a pass from Stamkos, he made the score 2-1, narrowing the gap.
Cirelli leveled things up by scoring from the bottom of the right circle at the 15:49 mark, thanks to a behind-the-scenes pass from Hagel. The score was then 2-2.
The Canadiens quickly responded as Josh Anderson regained the lead for Montreal at 6:23 of the third period with a redirection off a point shot by Cole Caufield, making it 3-2.
However, the Lightning fought back, with Motte netting a short-handed goal at 10:18 to even the score at 3-3. Motte intercepted a pass from Nick Suzuki, sparking a breakaway opportunity.
The game remained deadlocked through the remainder of regulation and overtime, leading to a shootout. In the shootout, the Tampa Bay Lightning emerged victorious. The win marked a comeback victory for the Lightning, after facing two consecutive losses.