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How Hagel, Lightning Answered the Bell in Game 4 to beat Canadiens

Tampa Bay was hearing a standing eight count against Montreal before everything changed in a flash

David Eversole

Apr 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) plays the puck against Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (21) during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) plays the puck against Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (21) during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Confidence is always overconfidence.

- Robert Byrne

The Montreal Canadiens and their home crowd entered Game 4 Sunday night flowing with confidence after the Habs took a 2-1 series lead. Their faith would be tested and validated early as both teams played to a draw after the opening stanza, one in which Montreal led in shots-on-goal 9-6 and hits 21-9. The series had been tied over 71% of the time to this point, per the ESPN broadcast.

In the second period, those lucky enough to be inside the Bell Centre would begin a wild journey of unprecedented positive and negative emotions that will be studied in Quebec for decades.

Tampa Bay had a +31 goal differential in the second period during the regular season, only Dallas had a better margin at +32. The Lightning would get an early chance on the power play in the second, but could not even muster a single shot on goal with the man advantage. In a game that was smoother aesthetically than the previous three, one small misstep by JJ Moser would lead to Montreal getting on the board first.

Tampa Bay would earn another power play at the 10:24 mark that wouldn’t end well as Jake Guentzel picked up a slashing call just as the Montreal penalty expired. The Canadiens would seize the opportunity this time as Cole Caufield finally lit the lamp for his first ever playoff goal.

Montreal's Bell Centre has the largest capacity in the NHL, and the crowd had the volume turned up to 11 as the Canadiens took first two goal lead for either team in the series. The chippy play in the series would continue and sticks were finding faces instead of pucks.

Brandon Hagel was surprisingly invisible to this point and picked up a slashing penalty which negated most of Tampa Bay's fourth power play of the game.

The Lightning would respond from the brink with more open ice 4-on- 4 and capitalized on Jake Guentzel’s first goal of the series to make the score 2-1 in favor of Montreal.

The second period would close without any further scoring and the Lightning ended the period with a 16-14 shot-on-goal advantage. Montreal was still throwing their weight around and led in hits 35-20, while winning 24 face-offs compared to just 15 for Tampa Bay through forty minutes.

Intermission two would not short circuit the Bolts as Montreal forward Oliver Kapanen would pick up a high sticking penalty just 51 seconds into the third. Hagel would soon atone for his earlier miscue and knot the game 2-2 with his fifth goal of the series.

For the first time all series, the Canadiens seemed to be on their heels. Mike Matheson has been the anchor for the Habs defense and helped them settle down with a solid shift. The action calmed for a few minutes until Matheson committtted a high sticking penalty to put Tampa Bay on the power play once again, silencing most of the 20,962 fans in attendance. A cross check near the boards by Jake Evans to Nikita Kucherov would add further anxiety to the situation for Montreal fans. The hit was not what one would call brutal upon further review.

The Lightning would earn a 5-on-3 power playing for 1:11 but a spirited penalty kill by the Canadiens would bring the home crowd back to life in a hurry. Hagel has giveth and taketh in this series, and saved his best act for last.

The Lightning had not scored a goal to take the lead in the third period of a playoff game since 2022, but the good times wouldn’t last long as Kucherov got into the high sticking trend with 2:33 left in regulation.

The normally smooth power play unit for Montreal seemed to feel the pressure and the Canadiens pulled Dobes with about a minute left on the power play to go 6-on-4. Martin St. Louis would call his timeout and both teams caught their breath for the final 1:23 in regulation

The Lightning would galvanize and form a wall in front of Vasilesvkiy, blocking three straight shots and Tampa Bay would complete the comeback.

With their season on the line the Lightning showed extreme resolve and will, drawing even in the series and regaining home ice advantage leading into Game 5. The experience on the Tampa side was evident as the young Montreal squad could not overcome a furious rally that reshaped the entire series.

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David Eversole
DAVID EVERSOLE

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