Playoff hockey. There’s nothing like it.
No wonder the players are battered and bruised by the end of this four-round odyssey. Further proof that the Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy to win in professional sports.
The Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning renewed hostilities Sunday night at the Bell Centre — hostilities being the operative word. The teams combined for a mind-boggling 78 hits, with the visitors absorbing 50 of those sometimes bone-jarring collisions.
And for the fourth consecutive game, teams that each finished the regular season with 106 points saw a match that was decided by one goal. But at least, for once, .
And now, following the Lightning’s 3-2 victory, this best-of-seven opening-round series comes down to a best-of-three. And the Canadiens will have to win at least once more on the road.
Montreal Canadiens’ Jakub Dobes has words with Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brandon Hagel in the second period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday, April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
The definition of insanity: There’s absolutely no excuse for squandering a two-goal lead at home — a fate that befell the Canadiens. Montreal could have taken a stranglehold on this series last Tuesday, but and lost in overtime on the road. And now this, five days later. Should the Lightning ultimately prevail, the Canadiens will have all summer to contemplate the ones that got away.
Hit of the night, and perhaps the series: Juraj Slafkovsky didn’t see Max Crozier coming at him late in the second period. The play occurred in the neutral zone. Slafkovsky turned and skated into Crozier. The Lightning defenceman, a healthy scratch until now in the series, absolutely destroyed Slafkovsky — who, amazingly, wasn’t concussed on the play and returned for the start of the third period.
The visitors were trailing 2-0 at the time of the hit. It changed the momentum of the game — and perhaps the series. It also rekindled memories of Tom Wilson lambasting Alexandre Carrier in last season’s opening round.
Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky grimaces after taking a hit from Tampa Bay Lightning’s Max Crozier in the second period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday, April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
Late goals kill: Tampa Bay’s comeback began with Jake Guentzel’s goal in the final minute of the second period. Brandon Hagel, with the first of his two goals, tied the game with a power-play score before the third period was two minutes old.
Strange, but true (Part I): Hagel has scored six of the Lightning’s 11 goals in the series. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. Hagel scored a career-high 36 goals in 71 games this season.
Strange, but true (Part II): Each game of this series has seen the winning team come from behind.
Tampa Bay Lightning’s Brandon Hagel scores his first of two goals on Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes in the third period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
One that got away: After being drafted by Buffalo in the sixth round (159th overall) in 2016 — but not offered a contract — Hagel attended the Canadiens’ rookie and development camp on a tryout basis two years later. No offer was made to the 6-foot-2, 186-pound left-winger. How good would he look in a Montreal uniform right about now?
Serenity now: It now has become common knowledge Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis likes to unwind following games by watching reruns of Seinfeld. This episode might have come in handy Sunday night.
News you need (Part I): The Lightning improved to 15-7 in the fourth game of a series. But luck hasn’t always been on its side when trailing 2-1. Tampa Bay is now 7-8 overall, including 4-6 on the road.
News you need (Part II): Following the game, the Canadiens announced defenceman David Reinbacher, yet to play in the series, has been loaned to AHL Laval. The Rocket begins the playoffs Wednesday at Place Bell in a best-of-five series against the Toronto Marlies.
News you need (Part III): Zachary Bolduc’s opening goal, 10 minutes into the second period, was his first career playoff score.
Montreal Canadiens’ Zachary Bolduc celebrates after scoring a goal on Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy while being checked by Tampa defenceman Darren Raddysh in the second period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday, April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
Dumb penalty: Yanni Gourde’s cross-check on Mike Matheson in the first period, leaving Tampa Bay two men short for 12 seconds.
That’s using your head: Oliver Kapanen’s shot in the first period struck Andrei Vasilevskiy in the mask.
That’s using your body: Hagel’s game-winning goal, with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, deflected off his chest.
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes scrambles to get back to his net as Alex Newhook, Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle try to tie up Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov in the first period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
And the Oscar goes to … (Part I): Nikita Kucherov, who has a history of these things, fell like he was shot in the second period after Josh Anderson harmlessly skated into him.
And the Oscar goes to … (Part II): Kucherov was at it again in the third. While the Canadiens were already shorthanded, Jake Evans hit the Russian forward from behind. Kucherov crashed into the boards despite barely being touched. Evans was called for cross-checking, leaving the Canadiens two men short for 1:11. Miraculously, Kucherov returned to the ice — almost immediately. Evans, meanwhile, was incredulous following the call.
Montreal Canadiens’ Jake Evans is escorted to the penalty box after cross-checking Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov in the third period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday, April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
Great moments in officiating: Among the many controversial penalties assessed was Matheson’s high-sticking minor on Guentzel in the third period. Matheson justifiably threw his arms up in disgust.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice …: It seemed like poetic justice when Kucherov was penalized for slashing Matheson late in the third period. But the Canadiens failed to score with the man advantage.
Next time, decline the penalty: The Lightning went 1-for 7 on the power play. The Canadiens were 1-for-6.
Quick stats: Kaiden Guhle had 11 hits. Arber Xhekaj, despite playing only 8:18, had six hits — one more than Evans. Nick Suzuki had a team-high three shots. He also had four hits and blocked four shots. Lane Hutson played 26:15. Jakub Dobes’s save percentage was .850.
Montreal Canadiens’ Cole Caufield celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with Juraj Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki in the second period of Game 4 of the National Hockey League playoff series at the Bell Centre on Sunday, April 26, 2026. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
They said it: “We knew it was going to be a long series and it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Cole Caufield, who scored his first goal this post-season. “Obviously this feeling sucks, but you’ve got to move on. We can’t dwell on it.”
“I think we’re still in a great spot,” Matheson said. “We just need to go to Tampa and bring our game. They’re a good team, and so are we.
“(The officiating) was definitely frustrating,” he added. “It’s out of our control and we can’t worry about it too much. Ultimately we got our chances. We just couldn’t bury them.”
“It’s playoff hockey,” Guhle said. “Stuff happens. Bounces. Whatever you want to call it. It’s part of the game. We’re just trying to play our game. There were a couple calls on both sides probably that were off. Hopefully the next time the puck doesn’t go off a guy’s face into the net.”
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