"Please be MSL's last game as head coach": Habs fans react after Montreal Canadiens lose 5-3 against Tampa Bay Lightning

Fans on social media expressed disappointment after the Montreal Canadiens fell 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bell Centre on Sunday.

Despite a strong performance, the Canadiens' efforts were not enough to overcome a few critical mistakes that ultimately led to the Lightning's victory.

Juraj Slafkovsky had a particularly tough night, as a costly turnover resulted in the opening goal for the Lightning. His lack of assertiveness and speed with the puck has become a concerning trend, prompting coach Martin St. Louis to demote the 20-year-old from the first line following the poor decision.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions to the Montreal Canadiens' performance. One said:

"Slafkovsky needs to go."

Another chimed in:

"Please be MSL last game as head coach."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Perfect game for the tank! Competitive and we lose. We also got passed by Utah, we're now 10th last," a third fan posted.

"Might as well put Swiss cheese in net there are so many holes. 4 goals on 20 shots or 3 on 35 shots. No goaltending No chance at winning," another disgruntled fan wrote.

"Yeah and to fire St Louis. He did a sound job making Habs respectable. Now it’s time for the next level. They’re losing me," opined another.

This marked the third straight loss for the Montreal Canadiens, who head into the 4 Nations Face-Off break with a 25-26-5 record and 55 points. The team is currently six points away from a wild card spot.

How Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Montreal Canadiens

On the night of Super Bowl Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre Arena.

Nick Paul opened the scoring for the Lightning, putting them ahead 1-0 at 6:56 into the first period. Victor Hedman doubled the advantage at 10:28. Brendan Gallagher's late power-play goal cut the deficit to 2-1 for the Canadiens before heading into the second period.

Brayden Point scored early in the second, making it 3-1 for the visitors on the power play. At 6:43, the Lightning struck again, with Zemgus Girgensons making it 4-1 for the team. Christian Dvorak cut the deficit to 4-2 for the Montreal Canadiens before the final period.

Gallagher scored his second goal, making it 4-3 for the Habs, before Anthony Cirelli's empty-net goal sealed a 5-3 win for the Lightning.