With a playoff-leading six goals in four games — including two goals in Game 4 — Brandon Hagel is a big reason why the Lightning are heading back to Tampa with their best-of-seven series against the Montreal Canadiens tied 2-2.
Jon Cooper called it a Mark Messier type of moment.
Down 0-2 to the Montreal Canadiens midway through the second period, the Tampa Bay were looking like they were en route to going down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series on Sunday night when Brandon Hagel suddenly stood up on the bench and started to become animated.
According to Tampa Bay's coach, Hagel was not yelling at his teammates to start playing better. Instead, he was telling them — no, practically guaranteeing — that he was going to do something special and for them to follow his lead.
"I think he captivated the bench with what he was saying and the message he was delivering. It’s one thing to say it, but there are guys who mean it because it’s coming from their heart and their soul. And you talk about the progression of things that helped us this game, I think that was one part of it.
Shortly after Hagel's outburst, the Lightning burst out of their funk.
It started with Tampa Bay defenseman Max Crozier levelling Montreal's Juraj Slafkovsky with an open-ice hit. Jake Guentzel then scored to make it 2-1 with 54 seconds remaining in the second period. And in the third, Hagel made good on his promise of sorts by scoring twice as the Lightning won 3-2 in Game 4.
The series is now tied 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday in Tampa, Fla.
"He’s definitely become the straw that stirs our drink," said Cooper. "It’s like the Mark Messier thing. He called his shot and then had a hat trick. Obviously, Hags didn’t do that. He wasn’t saying I was going to score all these goals, but you can tell that if someone was going to do it, it was going to be him.
"Hags helps to elevate a lot of peoples’ games. He had a huge effect on this game."
It's not just this game. With a playoff-leading six goals and seven points, Hagel has had a huge effect on the series, having scored in each of the games. In the process, he has also brought out the best in Guentzel, who is tied with a team-leading seven points, Kucherov (six points) and whomever Cooper has been playing Hagel with at times in this series.
In Game 5, Brayden Point was the benefactor of getting shuffled on a line with Hagel and Kucherov. Cooper called it Point's best game of the playoffs.
"This guy right here does it all," said Guentzel said of Hagel, who was seated next to him during the post-game interview. "He plays at both ends. Obviously, he’s the hottest guy in the league right now. He’s done it all year. Obviously, he’s a special player for our team. It’s been fun to watch, it’s been fun to be out there with him. Obviously, he’s one the best player in the league for a reason."
"Thanks," said Hagel.
Right now, Hagel is certainly making a case as a (very) early MVP candidate.
Early in the third period, Tampa Bay was on the power play when Hagel snuck behind the Montreal defense and connected on a cross-crease pass from Kucherov. With minutes and change remaining in the period, Hagel once again went hard to the net and got lucky as Kucherov's shot ricocheted in off Hagel's body.
"Hopefully, next time the puck doesn't go off a guy's face and into the net," said Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle.
Call it a lucky bounce or the kind of goals that only seem to get scored in a playoff game, but it also goes without saying that you need players like Hagel, who bring a mix of grit and goal-scoring ability, to go deep and win a Stanley Cup. After all, last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner was Florida's Sam Bennett, who not only led the playoffs with 15 goals — but who also finished second with 107 hits.
Hagel might not have affected the game with his body in the same way that Bennett did last year. But with a playoff-leading five takeaways and a team-leading 13 penalty minutes to go along with his playoff-leading offensive contributions, he hasn't been afraid to get his goal-scoring hands dirty either.
"This is the best time of year," he said. "It doesn’t matter where you’re playing, you’ve got to embrace these types of atmospheres. You live to play in moments like this. This is why you want to get into the playoffs. In the regular season, you go into buildings and you’re happy when you’re in a building that’s loud and fun to play in. But when you get into the playoffs, it’s always like that. They’ve got passionate fans.
"It’s fun to play here. It puts a little chip on your shoulder … I mean, it’s insane out there."