TAMPA, Fla. — Jake Evans netted his fifth consecutive goal, marking a personal best, as the Montreal Canadiens triumphed over the Tampa Bay Lightning with a score of 5-2 on Sunday evening.

Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher, and Alex Newhook also contributed to the victory, which was the Canadiens’ fifth in their last six outings. Sam Montembeault was solid in net, recording 21 saves during the contest.

The Lightning saw goals from Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel, while Jonas Johansson made 31 stops for Tampa Bay.

Newhook initiated the scoring with a powerful one-timer midway through the first period. Hagel responded swiftly, leveling the score just 37 seconds into the second period. However, Dvorak and Evans struck within 5:54 of each other in the same period, giving Montreal a two-goal advantage that they maintained throughout the game.

In terms of key takeaways, the Canadiens have now managed to score four or more goals in each of their last six matches. Additionally, this win broke a four-game losing streak against Tampa Bay.

On the Lightning’s side, left winger Jake Guentzel was sidelined due to an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Tampa Bay also dropped to 0-7-1 when they fail to score three or more goals in a game.

A pivotal moment in the matchup came right after Hagel’s equalizer at the start of the second period, as Montreal’s Lane Hutson was penalized for hooking just 13 seconds later, granting Tampa Bay a power play opportunity. However, the Canadiens’ penalty kill proved effective, allowing no shots during that time.

Concerning statistics, Evans’ streak of five consecutive games with goals is currently tied for the longest active scoring streak in the NHL.

Looking ahead, the Montreal Canadiens are set to face off against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, while the Tampa Bay Lightning will go up against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.