Hagel Leads the Way As Lightning Head to Montreal
- Mike Smith
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
By Mike Smith | Thunderstruck Sports
The Eastern Conference First Round matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens heads north of the border this weekend, tied at one game each. Following two action-packed overtime results, the Lightning haven't played their best hockey, but haven't played their worst, either. However, there is one force out there keeping the Lightning grounded and headed in the right direction as we enter a pivotal point in the series: Brandon Hagel.
Hagel has quickly become the star of this young series, already earning three goals and an assist with a +4. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has averaged a team-leading 24:40 of ice time among Bolt forwards. More importantly, he has become what Lightning fans have always hoped he would be:
The villain in this hockey opera, orchestrating and conducting a performance all his own as he leads the Lightning through the thicket known as playoff hockey.
And it's a role he and the Lightning have no problem playing.
In Game 2 on Tuesday night, Hagel earned what is affectionately known as the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick." For those who may not be familiar, that's when a player records a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game.
Many NHL players, past and present, have earned the achievement. Several players of the Tampa Bay Lightning have over the years, as well.
What made the achievement on Tuesday night so special?
The accomplishment (and yes, in the mind of NHL players, it is an accomplishment) was the first time in Tampa Bay Lightning history that a Bolt has earned one in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, that is not the reason.
That wasn't even Hagel's first Gordie Howe Hat Trick. In fact, that was his second of the season alone. His first this year was on March 8th, when he scored once, got an assist, and duked it out with Buffalo's Peyton Krebs.
Hagel's performance on Tuesday night, with the inclusion of that Gordie Howe Hat Trick, may very well have been the spark to light a fire underneath the Lightning that they need to boost them through the remainder of this tournament.
That's what made it special. That has brought Hagel to the forefront of this series so far.
Up to this point, Hagel has been, as they say, "En Fuego."
Hagel's Actions are heroic to Fans, Angst to Foes
The Lightning struggled in Game 1, and costly mistakes led to disaster on Sunday night. Still, it was Hagel who kept the Bolts in contention with Tampa Bay's only two goals, the second one extending the game.
Tampa Bay lost the game and home ice advantage, 3-2. Montreal's Juraj Slatkovsky stole the show with his hat trick (the standard kind), which included the game-winner in overtime.
However, Hagel was the bright spot in an otherwise lackluster performance by the Lightning, and he was just getting started.
By Tuesday, Hagel had decided to place the Lightning's hopes and dreams for Stanley Cup glory on his shoulders and reminded the NHL that this team would not go quietly into the night.
First, he opened the scoring with his third goal of the series at the 8:40 mark of the first period when he blasted a slap shot past Habs' goalie Jakub Dobes. Later in the third period, he would collect an assist on Nikita Kucherov's wraparound goal that tied the game, 2-2.
What mattered most to team morale and fans alike was what happened between those two plays.
At the 14:20 mark of the second period, Hagel was part of a huge scrum that broke out behind the Montreal net. Tangling with Josh Anderson, already despised by Lightning fans for his Game 1 elbow that knocked defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous out, the melee whipped the Benchmark International Arena crowd into a frenzy.
As he was led to the penalty box, Hagel began chirping at the Canadiens. Once he made it into the box, he and Corey Perry, who was also in the fight, began taunting and barking towards the Montreal box.
The antics made highlight reels and social media posts the remainder of the night.
"It's not that he's a fighter," said Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper. "He's willing to do anything to win, regardless of the task."
Hagel wasn't done Tuesday night.
Hagel then dropped gloves with Slafkovsky just over five minutes into the second period and then literally dropped Slafkovsky, earning his five-minute major for fighting.
Sitting in the penalty box for a second time that evening, Hagel glared over to Slavkovsky in the Montreal box and motioned for him to "go to sleep."
"It's kind of instilled in me that I'm a little bit of a psychopath," Hagel said. "So I use my words, and I scream, and I yell, but I know that's making me the best player that night."
Savage.
Hagel Lights the Way to Victory and More
From there, Tampa Bay found that spark that emanated from the "Human Torch" Brandon Hagel.
"He's got everything you want in a player and the skill set to prove it," Cooper said. "Everyone on a team would love to have a Brandon Hagel."
With Hagel's leadership, the Lightning played inspired hockey through the end of Game 2, including a key penalty kill with 2:15 left in regulation that helped force overtime.
Then, the Bolts never looked back in overtime, outshooting the Canadiens 9-0 in the extra period when Anthony Cirelli drew a faceoff back to defenseman J.J. Moser.
Moser was able to roll from left to right along the blue line with the puck before he dove to the top of the right circle, wristing the game-winner past Dobes.
The key to that play was Hagel, who lined up on the left side of the faceoff. As Cirelli drew the puck, Montreal's Jayden Struble and Lane Hutson went to double-up Hagel before realizing Moser would drive the puck towards the net.
That momentary lapse was all Moser needed to blow up the Montreal defense, and the threat of Hagel was the linchpin.
Even on the Kucherov goal to tie the game in the third period, Hagel was the factor. As he wound up for his shot from the top of the left circle, three Montreal players started to converge on him, including Cole Caufield.
That allowed Kucherov to break free from Caufield, collect Hagel's missed shot, and score on the wraparound.
The presence of Hagel on the ice has become a thorn in the side of the Canadiens, and the Lightning forward took advantage in Game 2.
Lightning Back In Control Headed to Montreal
As a result of Hagel's leadership and effort, we have an even series after two, and the Lightning are riding the wave of emotion and momentum.
As both teams prepare for Game 3 in Montreal on Friday night, the Canadiens' coach, Martin St. Louis, will need to find a way to cool down Hagel. The hope for the Lightning is that focusing on stopping Hagel will create more chances for Kucherov, Brayden Point, and the rest of the Lightning bench.
Hagel is the spark, and that spark has ignited this veteran team.
Tampa Bay has the chance to come into the Bell Centre this weekend and take control of the series. Brandon Hagel will continue to lead the way, doing whatever it takes to win.
Montreal learned that the hard way on Tuesday night.
Series Notes
Charle-Edouard D'Astous did not play in Game 2 on Tuesday after leaving Game 1 as a result of an elbow from Josh Anderson. He is traveling with the team, and Coach Jon Cooper is hopeful he will return to the ice in Montreal.
The Lightning reassigned G Brandon Halverson to the Syracuse Crunch in advance of the Calder Cup Playoffs, and called up G Harrison Meneghin to give the Bolts three goaltenders, which is permitted during the playoffs.
As stated by Cooper over the weekend, Lightning captain Victor Hedman is traveling with the team this weekend. He is not expected to play this round.
He's an everything Bagel!!!!