The Montreal Canadiens have done an admirable job holding down the powerful Tampa Bay Lightning offense in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
The Lightning finished the regular season ranked fourth in the NHL in scoring at 3.5 goals per game. But in four postseason games, Tampa Bay managed 11 goals, an average of 2.8 per game.
Top Lightning goal-scorers Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point have one goal apiece.
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Only one player is consistently finding the back of the net against Montreal. Brandon Hagel has six of Tampa Bay’s goals, including the game-tying and game-winning goals in a 3-2 Lightning victory on Sunday, April 26. The series returns to Tampa for Game 5 on Wednesday tied at 2.
Guentzel showered praise on Hagel during the postgame press conference, per the team’s X account.
“This guy, he just does it all,” Guentzel said. “Two-hundred-foot player, plays on both sides of the puck. Obviously, he’s one of the hottest guys in the league right now. … It’s been fun to watch. It’s been fun to be out there with him. Obviously, he’s one of the best players in the league for a reason.”
All the while, Hagel sat next to Guentzel. Hagel seemed uneasy with the praise and felt the need to say something in response.
Montreal is seeking its first playoff series win since advancing to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. The Canadiens appeared on their way to a 3-1 series lead when they seized a 2-0 advantage on Sunday at the Bell Centre.
But Guentzel scored with 53 seconds remaining in the second period on a pass from JJ Moser.
Hagel scored a power-play goal 1:04 into the third period on pass from Kucherov. He tallied the game-winner when a Kucherov shot deflected off him and into the goal with 4:53 remaining.
Zachary Bolduc and Cole Caufield scored the goals for the Canadiens.
Hagel, 27, scored a career-high 36 goals during the regular season, ranking third on the Lightning. He missed six of the team’s final eight regular-season games with injury but scored two goals in Game 1 of the playoff series.
Game 5 is set for Wednesday at a time to be determined in Tampa.