Lightning Tie Series, Hagel Scores Twice

0:00It's April 27th. NHL News Today starts now. AI-powered and game-ready. I'm Cory with the story. Tevbe Lightning pulled off a 3-2 comeback win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference First Round Series, tying it up at two games each. Brandon Hagel dropped two goals in the third period to spark the rally, while Jake Gwensel added a goal and an assist. Nikita Kutcherov and JJ Moser, each dish two helpers, and Andrej Vasilevsky stopped 16 shots in net. Montreal jumped out to a two-nothing lead in the second, with goals from Zachary Boulduck and Cole Caulfield, but Tampa Bay flipped the momentum late. Hagel tied it on the power play early in the third, then sealed the lead with a deflection of Kutcherov shot. Canadian's goalie Jakub Dobbs made 17 saves, but couldn't hold the edge. This series has been a grinder, with the first three games all going to overtime. But Game 4 stayed out of extra time and saw no first period goals, for either side.

1:02Tampa, the number two seed in the Atlantic, showed their depth against the number three Canadians, who got power play magic from Caulfield this time. Now the focus shifts to Game 5 on Wednesday at Tampa's home rink. Hagel's five goals in the series already make him a standout, and both teams know every shift counts in this best of seven battle. Lining even the score, but Montreal's not backing down. Expect fireworks as this playoff dance keeps heating up.