Amidst a growing amount of Lightning players entering the NHL's COVID protocols, Tampa Bay returned one key asset ahead of Tuesday's clash with the Canadiens: Brayden Point .

Playing in his first game since suffering an upper-body injury on November 20, Point scored twice and added an assist as Tampa Bay returned from the holiday break with a 5-4 OT victory over Montreal at AMALIE Arena.

Ondrej Palat scored the game-winning goal 36 seconds into overtime to complete the back-and-forth affair.

Point got the scoring started for Tampa Bay, recording a pair of goals less than three minutes apart in the first period to stake the Bolts to a 2-1 lead. After former teammate David Savard scored to give the Canadiens the lead with less than seven minutes to play, Point picked up the primary assist on Corey Perry 's equalizer in the final seconds of regulation that forced the game to overtime.

With six players unavailable to acting head coach Derek Lalonde, defenseman Sean Day made his NHL debut and Maxime Lagace made his first appearance in a Lightning sweater between the pipes. Day skated 6:42 in his first taste of top-tier action and Lagace picked up his first win since May 8 of last season when he was a member of the Penguins. 

The Lightning now turn their attention to the third matchup of the season against the rival Panthers on Thursday in Sunrise. 

Scoring Summary 1st Period MTL 1, TBL 0 10:46 Lukas Vejdemo (1) - Michael Pezzetta, Cedric Paquette Moments after the Lightning killed off a Gabriel Fortier slashing penalty, Lukas Vejdemo scored to give the Habs the lead. With Maxime Lagace pulled out of the crease after making a save, Michael Pezzetta threaded a pass from below the goal line through to Vejdemo in the slot. Lagace didn't have a chance to recover before Vejdemo deposited his shot into the vacated net.

MTL 1, TBL 1 11:38 Brayden Point (8) - Mathieu Joseph , Victor Hedman Brayden Point made his presence felt early in the first period of his return, scoring the first of two goals less than a minute after Montreal jumped in front. On a 2-on-1 rush, Point pulled up to avoid a sliding Kale Clague and quickly snapped a shot past Sam Montembeault to tie the game at one.

TBL 2, MTL 1 14:10 Brayden Point (9) - Alex Killorn Point capped an impressive first period with his second goal in less than three minutes. After Montreal turned the puck over to Alex Killorn in the slot, Point went unmarked at the near post. Killorn fed Point down low and he redirected the puck past Montembeault's outstretched glove.

2nd Period TBL 2, MTL 2 2:05 Rafael Harvey-Pinard (1) - Sami Niku, Corey Schueneman Skating in his NHL debut, Rafael Harvey-Pinard found the back of the net just over two minutes into the second period to tie the game. Harvey-Pinard got positioning on Ross Colton in front of the net and one-timed home a feed from Sami Niku down low.

TBL 3, MTL 2 8:11 Ross Colton (3) - Steven Stamkos , Corey Perry Two seconds after a Lightning power play expired, Colton wired home a one-timer from the right circle to put Tampa Bay back in front. From the opposite circle, Steven Stamkos sent a cross-ice feed to Colton who blasted a one-timer past Montembeault.

3rd Period TBL 3, MTL 3 6:11 Kale Clague (1) - Cole Caufield, Ryan Poehling The game stood tied for the third time after Kale Clague scored his first goal of the season just over six minutes into the third period. The defenseman jumped up on the play and rang a shot in off the far post from just inside the left circle.

MTL 4, TBL 3 13:09 David Savard (1) - Unassisted Former Bolt David Savard picked a devastating moment for his first goal of the season. Savard stepped up at the blue line and intercepted a Fortier pass before cutting to the slot and lifting a shot high to the glove side that Lagace couldn't keep out.

MTL 4, TBL 4 19:40 Corey Perry (7) - Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos With Lagace on the bench and the extra attacker out, the Lightning managed to tie the game at four in the closing seconds of regulation. From behind the net, Point fed Corey Perry in front of the net and he scored with 19.7 seconds remaining to force the game into overtime.

Overtime 0:36 Ondrej Palat (10) - Victor Hedman It took less than a minute for Ondrej Palat to send the AMALIE Arena crowd home happy. On the way out of their zone, Montreal turned the puck over to Victor Hedman and he fed Palat at the far post for the game-winning goal.

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