The Montreal Canadiens had a great opportunity ahead of them as they entered Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead and were playing in front of their home crowd. Unfortunately, the game didn't play out in their favor, and the series is now tied at two and heading back to Tampa Bay.
It looked like the Canadiens were going to get that commanding series lead as they took a 2-0 lead in the second after goals by Zack Bolduc and Cole Caufield. However, from that point on it was all Tampa Bay as Jake Guentzel scored the first goal for the Lightning with less than a minute left in the second period.
Then in the third, Brandon Hagel took over as he had a power play goal to tie it and then the game-winner with less than five minutes left in the third period. The Canadiens were unable to score the tying goal, even being on the power play late, and for the first time this series the game didn't go to overtime.
These are some of the takeaways from the game on Sunday night.
Montreal Canadiens fourth-line continues to deliver with Zack Bolduc goal
Ahead of Game 3, the Montreal Canadiens shuffled their lines and created a new fourth line of Zack Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and Alexandre Texier. They got immediate returns as these three combined for six points, with Dach and Texier scoring.
On Sunday, it was Bolduc's turn as he would score the first goal of the game, and the first playoff goal of his career. On Bolduc's goal, Alexandre Texier got an assist and now has points in back-to-back games.
Over the past two games, this line has been the Canadiens' best 5v5 line and is something they likely will need to stick with moving forward.
Cole Caufield finally finds the back of the net in the playoffs
During the regular season, it felt like a nightly occurrence that Cole Caufield was scoring a goal. He would go on to finish second in the league in the category with 51, but the playoffs have been a different story as he has struggled in this series.
On Sunday, Caufield finally scored his first goal of the playoffs on a great play where Nick Suzuki found him in front of the net on a power play.
The Canadiens still need more from their top line in 5v5 situations, but hopefully, this play between Suzuki and Caufield can spark something for them through the rest of the series.
Canadiens let golden opportunity slip through their fingers
When looking back at playoff series, there always seems to be that pivotal moment and the Canadiens probably let that moment slip through their hands on Sunday night. They had a 2-0 lead in Game 4 at home and, with a win, would have taken a 3-1 lead and could have clinched the series on Wednesday in Tampa Bay.
However, the Lightning were able to come back and score three straight and tie this series up. The Canadiens have now gone from a series-clinching scenario to trying to win two of the final three games, with two of those games potentially on the road.
The series is far from being lost but the road to advancing got much harder with the loss they suffered in Game 4.
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