TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning touched down in Tampa on Monday afternoon after mounting a two-goal comeback in Game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens to even the series 2-2.
“Give yourself and the team a chance to win that Stanley Cup,” Lightning forward Nick Paul said. “Every single game matters. Emotions get higher, the tighter the series, the more physical the further on you go.”
The Bolts felt a wave of emotion late in the second period. Trailing 2-0, Tampa Bay’s Max Crozier laid a thunderous hit on Juraj Slafkovsky at center ice.
“Yeah, it’s a big hit,” Paul said. “No fear, no back down, step up middle ice and make the hit. I think the whole building felt it. It went a little silent.”
From there, the Lightning were a different team.
“It was huge,” Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh said. “It brought energy back into the bench.”
The Lightning scored three unanswered goals. Brandon Hagel scored two of them and leads all players with six goals this series.
He’s carrying the team with passion and leadership on and off the ice.
“Well, this is a different time of year,” head coach Jon Cooper said. “He’s a special kid. He’s the straw that’s been stirring us. He walks a fine line. He is an emotional player. That’s what drives him, that’s why he has success.”
After Game 3, Coach Cooper said he needed more from other players. He felt like he got more in Game 4, even though Hagel is scoring the goals in bunches.
“Does the goaltender count? He counts, does our defense, PK?” Cooper said. “Hags for the PP goal. There are other facets, Crozier’s hit, other things that don’t end up on the scoresheet. There are things that impact the game.”
The series is now a best-of-three with the Lightning regaining home-ice advantage.
Game 5 is on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Benchmark International Arena.
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