Coming into the playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, if someone asked which opposing player the Montreal Canadiens should be the most worried about, the most likely answers would have been either Nikita Kucherov or Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy, who already has a Conn Smythe trophy to his name, cannot only win games but also win your team a series on his own. Kucherov is enemy number one in Montreal, mainly for his post-game interview back in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, but is also a highly productive playoff performer who leads the Lightning franchise in career playoff goals, assists, and points. While both players have been good in the series, the player who has been giving the Canadiens the most problems is not either of the two franchise legends, but rather the speedy, gritty winger Brandon Hagel.
Hagel has become a problem for the Canadiens
The Canadiens were able to contain Hagel in their regular-season matchups, holding him to 0 points and being a -2 in three games. In the playoffs, Hagel has been a completely different player. He has taken over the series, leading the playoffs in goals with six. He is effective in every area of the game. Crucial for the Lightning’s power play and penalty, while also being a great player 5-on-5. His speed and tenacity around the net have become a huge problem for the Canadiens to deal with, and if they can not find a way to slow him down, the Habs could be looking at another first-round exit.
Throughout the series, Hagel has been able to get to the front of the net with ease, and there is no better example than his performance in game four. The Canadiens had the first two-goal lead by any team in the series, and after Jake Guentzel cut it to one late in the second period, it was Hagel who took over in the third. Even when the Canadiens were on the power play, it felt like Hagel was still the one creating the best scoring chances. He scored the game-tying and game-winning goal, both of which happened on the same spot on the ice. Both happened directly in front of the net, almost as if the Canadiens forgot he was there.
The first one came on the power play. The Lightning's power play unit was trying to shift the Canadiens penalty group away from the net until Kucherov found Hagel alone back post for the easy tap-in. His second goal is what every hockey coach preaches about. “Go to the net and good things will happen.” That is exactly what Hagel has been doing all series. Kucherov blindly shoots the puck at the net, and it ricochets off Hagel and into the back of the net for the game-winning goal.
What the Canadiens need to do
The Canadiens have to change their approach to defending Hagel. Hagel loves playing around the net, and right now, the Canadiens are making it too easy for him to get to his spot. If Hagel wants to go to the net, Montreal needs to make him work to get there. The Canadiens are not doing a good enough job of battling with Hagel for that inside position. The Canadiens defenders need to be physical with him. Try to wear him down; if that means roughing him up after the whistle, then so be it. Canadiens fans have seen how defenders treated Brendan Gallagher when he was in his prime, and while Hagel may have more talent, that is exactly how they need to defend him in front of the net.
The Canadiens have a couple of days to rest up before game five on Wednesday night, and when the puck drops, they need a better game plan on stopping Hagel from taking over the series. Hagel has a goal in every single game so far, and keeping him off the goalsheet needs to be the priority. The second thing on the checklist is figuring out how to get the Canadiens top line going on 5-on-5. They have been incredible on the power play, but they have yet to generate any offence 5-on-5, and if the Canadiens want any chance of winning this series, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky need to be better.
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