Slafkovský Scores 25th Goal as Canadiens Fall to Red Wings

Juraj Slafkovský scored his 25th goal of the NHL season, but the Montreal Canadiens were defeated 3-1 by the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. The loss keeps the Canadiens in a tight race for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

Game Recap

Slafkovský opened the scoring for Montreal at the 38-minute mark with a power-play goal, giving the Canadiens a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. However, Detroit responded with three unanswered goals in the final frame. JT Compher tied the game at 43 minutes, followed by Alex DeBrincat at 57 minutes, and Andrew Copp sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 59:43.

Despite the loss, Slafkovský expressed a team-first mentality. “It’s nice to score the 25th goal, but I’m not very happy about it, because in this part of the season team points count more than in the beginning, and I’m sorry for the loss,” Slafkovský told the club’s website. He played 19:52 minutes, recording five shots on goal, two giveaways, and one blocked shot.

Other NHL Action

Černák Contributes to Lightning Victory: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Černák recorded two assists in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. This marked Černák’s first multi-point game of the season since February 8, 2025, against Detroit. Nikita Kučerov led the Lightning with three points (1+2).

Regenda and Sharks Suffer Loss: Pavol Regenda played 14:16 minutes for the San Jose Sharks in a 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Alex Lyon earned a shutout for Buffalo, making 23 saves.

Other Scores:

• Boston Bruins – Winnipeg Jets 6-1
• Ottawa Senators – New York Islanders 3-2
• Columbus Blue Jackets – New York Rangers 6-3
• Minnesota Wild – Chicago Blackhawks 1-2
• Nashville Predators – Seattle Kraken 3-1
• Edmonton Oilers – Florida Panthers 0-4
• Vegas Golden Knights – Utah Mammoth 0-4
• Los Angeles Kings – Philadelphia Flyers 3-4 (SO)

NHL Standings (March 20, 2026)

The Canadiens currently hold the fourth position in the Eastern Conference, with the New York Islanders closely trailing just one point behind. Tampa Bay is in third place in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Montreal.

Slovak Players in the NHL – Scoring Leaders