Hagel becomes 'the straw that stirs' Lightning's drink in playoffs

Tampa Bay Lightning's Brandon Hagel (38) celebrates with teammate Nikita Kucherov (86) after scoring against Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) as Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky (20) looks on during third period NHL playoff hockey action in Montreal, Sunday, April 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

MONTREAL — Fourteen months ago, Brandon Hagel was the recipient of raucous cheers from the Bell Centre faithful in Montreal following his spirited fight with Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk two seconds into Team Canada’s preliminary round matchup against the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Those cheers in these parts have long since dissipated, replaced instead by spirited boos for the Tampa Bay Lightning forward each time he touches the puck.

“They’ve got passionate fans,” said Hagel. “It’s fun to play here. It puts a little chip on your shoulder.”

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Hagel had his hands all over Tampa Bay’s come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Sunday’s Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, scoring two third-period goals to help even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

“He’s doing all the right things,” said Lightning forward Yanni Gourde. “He plays in all situations. He goes to the front of the net and blocks shots. He’s doing everything you have to do. He’s playing excellent hockey. It’s fun to see him play like this.”

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper revamped his forward lines once again to start Game 4, moving Hagel up to the top line alongside Nikita Kucherov and centreman Brayden Point. The move paid dividends in the third period.

• READ MORE: Lightning take fourth nail-biter, beat Canadiens 3-2 in Montreal to even series

Early in the final frame, with his team on the power play and down a goal, Hagel evened things up by tapping in a feed from Kucherov at the top of the crease.

Hagel would also score the eventual game-winning goal with under five minutes to play in the third period. Kucherov’s shot on goal deflected off Hagel’s arm and past Canadiens netminder Jakub Dobes, silencing the boisterous crowd.

“He’s definitely become the straw that stirs our drink,” said Cooper. “Even when we went down 2-0, he stood up and looked both ways and literally I think captivated the bench with what he was saying and the message he was delivering.

“It’s one thing to say it. There’s just guys that mean it, it’s coming from their heart and their soul. … If somebody was going to do it, it was going to be him.”

While Hagel’s late-game heroics are a large part of the story, much of the talk post-game also centred around Jake Guentzel’s four-on-four goal scored in the final minute of the second period that got the Lightning on the board.

“I think that’s a massive goal for us,” said Hagel. “I think going into the third period sometimes down two goals, could be a little bit dicey at times. To get one there, the period ends and you kind of take the crowd out of it right there. Then (we) get to come onto the ice and just kind of build off that.”

Hagel has a league-leading six goals in four playoff games. Before this spring, the 27-year-old had six career Stanley Cup playoff goals in 37 games with the Lightning across four playoff runs.

“He just does it all,” said Guentzel. “He’s a 200-foot player who plays both sides of the body. Obviously, he’s the hottest guy in the league right now. He’s done it all year and, obviously, he’s a special player for our team. It’s been fun to watch. It’s been fun to be out there with him.”

With the series now shifting back to Tampa for Game 5 on Wednesday, Hagel can surely expect a much warmer reception from the crowd at Benchmark International Arena.

For Hagel, however, the setting for the game is secondary. As long as he’s playing playoff hockey, he’s right where he wants to be.

“This is the best time of year,” said Hagel. “It doesn’t matter where you’re playing, you’ve got to embrace these types of atmospheres. You live to play in moments like this, this is why you want to get into the playoffs.

“In the regular season, you get to go into buildings and you’re happy when you are in a building that’s loud and fun to play in, so when you get to the playoffs, it’s always like that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2026.

Jordan Stoopler, The Canadian Press