Crozier's Hit Sparks Lightning Comeback

0:00On April 27, in game four of the Eastern Conference first round, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Max Crozier dropped a monster hit on Montreal's. Girash Slavkovsky that flipped the script on the whole match-up. The Lightning were down to nothing late in the second period, but Crozier's clean crunch at 17 minutes 48 seconds sparked a three-goal rally. Jake Gwentsell scored right after. Then Brandon Hagel added two in the third for a three-two win, evening the series at two games a piece. Trailing after dropping two of the first three, Tampa was staring at a three-one hole in this best of seven. That bell-sensor crowd was electric off two quick Montreal goals, but Crozier's hit hushed the place instantly. Lightning bench went wild while the... Habs forward lay there for a couple minutes before skating back. Crozier called it his number one hit ever, across all levels of hockey. Coach John Cooper said they got everyone jumping, killed the crowd's vibe, and set up the comeback.

1:00Slavkovsky, a big six-foot 3-225-pounder, returned for third-period shifts, but the damage was done game and may be series. Momentum shifted hard. The six-foot 3-2 on four-pound blue-liner hadn't played much post-surgery on a lower-body injury, just 53 regular season games. Total since Tampa drafted him fourth round in 2019. He shook off the rust by asking for extra contact work. Team A. Connor Geeky even laid hits on him, Saturday at practice. Now it's the best of three, with Game 5 Wednesday at 7 pm, I. Eastern in Tampa. Crozier's physical edge lit a fire. Lightning stay alive chasing that cup run. Teen coverage, powered by AI. This is NHL News Today.