By Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens Game 4 turned on in one moment. The Bolts were trailing 0–2 and looked beaten, drifting through the night without chances, until Max Crozier stepped up in the neutral zone and delivered a clean, momentum-shifting hit on Juraj Slafkovský, who had his head down. From there, the energy changed, and so did the game.
The Lightning completed a stunning comeback, escaping Montreal with a 3–2 regulation win and heading home with the series tied 2–2. They pulled it off thanks to four key factors, beginning with the man who has been carrying them through long stretches of this series.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has looked like a lone wolf guarding the crease by himself, constantly cleaning up defensive breakdowns in near isolation. Tampa’s blue line remains one of the team’s biggest concerns. Darren Raddysh, so reliable in the regular season, made a brutal giveaway that led directly to Montreal’s second goal and was overpowered by Cole Caufield on the play. Beyond that, Emil Lilleberg’s repeated mistakes, JJ Moser’s occasional lapses, and Erik Cernak’s low-key impact in crucial moments, one game after another, have left Vasilevskiy doing the work of many. Too often, no one is there to cover for him.
At the other end, Brandon Hagel continues to burn hot. He now leads the NHL with six playoff goals after scoring twice in Game 4, both set up by Nikita Kucherov. Yet Kucherov’s best game of the postseason involved more than two assists. Amid constant criticism, he continues to find his way under pressure. The bigger issue is that not every teammate can match his vision, find open ice for his passes, or stand up for him physically. Hagel, however, has fully embraced that connection and responsibility.
While Tampa leans on elite talent, Montreal leans on collective edge. Much of the Canadiens’ offense runs through four young players, but their identity goes beyond scoring. They provoke, poke, hit, irritate, and live under the skin of opponents. The referees have struggled to keep control, allowing emotions and penalties to pile up. That chaos also helps explain the low shot totals. On Sunday, Montreal delivered 50 hits but managed only 18 shots on goal.
That trend has defined the series. Three of the four games have gone to overtime, and combined totals have stayed at six goals or fewer in every game except the opener, when Montreal claimed a 4–3 overtime win. Space is tight, tempers are high, and every goal feels expensive.
In net, both goaltenders continue to follow their own rhythm. Jakub Dobeš has been strong for Montreal and receives more consistent support from the skaters in front of him. Tampa, meanwhile, still asks too much of Vasilevskiy. The Lightning need sharper defensive details and far better awareness around their goaltender.
As a team, Montreal may be playing the cleaner overall game. Tampa Bay is surviving through individual brilliance and the star power of select players. Jon Cooper has appeared unusually passive behind the bench, especially when compared with Lightning legend Martin St. Louis on the opposite side. Because of that, the threat of elimination still hangs over the Bolts despite evening the series. The Canadiens’ coach still has so much to give to his team and the NHL.
The chase is not yet over. The Canadiens will likely continue trying to slow down the Lightning with physical play, while the Lightning search for cleaner execution and more support around their stars. With so much energy spent on scrums, interference, and emotional battles, the six-goal ceiling feels like the safest expectation.
The Lightning will host Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29, at Benchmark International Arena.
