Lightning beat Canadiens in overtime, 3-2, to even NHL playoff series
By Associated Press
April 21, 2026 at 11:03 PM EDT
J.J. Moser notches the game-winner, and Nikita Kucherov ends a three-year postseason goal drought when his wraparound sends the game into the extra period. Game 3 is in Montreal on Friday night.
The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t just exorcise a team funk — Nikita Kucherov shook off one of his own. And his first postseason goal since 2023 helped set the stage for J.J. Moser’s overtime heroics.
Moser scored his first career playoff goal 12:48 into the extra period to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, tying their first-round NHL playoff series at 1-all.
After the split at Benchmark International Arena, the series shifts to Montreal's Bell Centre for Game 3 on Friday at 7 p.m. and Game 4 on Sunday at 7 p.m.
The Lightning had lost four consecutive home playoff games and 10 of the past 11, dating to Game 4 against Colorado in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. They had also dropped 11 of the previous 12 playoff games that went to overtime - including Game 1 on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/NHLGoalsVideo/status/2046809466071302145
Following a Montreal icing call, Moser took the puck off a faceoff win by Anthony Cirelli, skated around a stick check attempt by Kirby Dach and beat Jakub Dobes with a wrist shot from inside the left faceoff circle.
“We worked on faceoff plays, and the puck kind of squirts out,’’ Moser said. “I tried to keep it in, skate with it and all of a sudden it opens up. I took it down and take a shot.’’
Kucherov, who was second in NHL this year with 130 points, forced overtime at 12:33 of the third period, collecting a deflected puck off the stick of linemate Brandon Hagel and scoring on a wraparound.
It was his first playoff goal since April 19, 2023, a span of 17 postseason games.
“(Hagel) had a puck, shot the puck on the net,’’ Kucherov said. “I picked it up behind the net and put it in.’’
https://twitter.com/BoltsRadio/status/2046773404808683542
Hagel had a "Gordie Howe hat trick" — a goal, assist and a fight. He sparked the Lightning, scoring the opening goal 8:40 into the first period, assisting on the tying goal and fighting Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky — who had a power-play hat trick in Game 1 — in the second period.
“Whatever it takes to win,’’ Hagel said. “Sometimes it’s going to take fighting, and sometimes it’s going to take scoring goals. I was lucky enough to squeak one by and then (Kucherov) made a good play. Obviously, a good feeling just that we won tonight.’’
Montreal took a 2-1 lead into the third period, getting a power-play goal from Lane Hutson — the Canadiens' fourth with the man advantage in the series — at 16:11 of the first period and a go-ahead goal from Josh Anderson with 1:24 left in the second.
The Canadiens were unable to capitalize on a power play with 2:15 left in regulation after fourth-liner Scott Sabourin was called for interference for a hit into Anderson's back. However, Tampa Bay killed off the man advantage to take the game into overtime.
“Last thing you want to do is go out there and put your team short-handed,” Sabourin said. “That was the kind of the issue for us in Game 1. It’s definitely a line that I’m going to have to toe and try to play between the whistles, assert myself physically when I can but without hurting the team.”
ALSO READ: Lightning fall in overtime to Canadiens in Game 1 of playoff series
Tampa Bay carried that momentum into the extra period, when it outshot Montreal 9-0 — the final shot by Moser into the net.
“It would have been nice to get two (wins),’’ Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. After two periods, I felt we were so close of getting two (wins), especially the way we were playing. It just kind of got away from us a little bit. We didn’t play with the puck a lot. And I feel we carried that into overtime, too. When you keep giving them the puck, you’re just rolling the dice a little bit.’’
Hutson and Anderson scored for the Canadiens. Dobes finished with 31 saves.
Tampa Bay, which led the league in penalty minutes during the regular season, looked get more physical Tuesday after being harrassed by Anderson in Game 1. The Lightning built a brawling reputation this year, a response to being physically dominated by the Florida Panthers during the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
The first period turned ugly early, with 30 total penalty minutes and a melee that filled both penalty boxes 14:20 into the game.
ALSO READ: Fan events planned around Lightning's opening playoff series, which will begin in Tampa
Among the guilty was Hagel, who revved up the home crowd on the way to serving his roughing foul. Hagel's second-period tussle with Slafkovský, who rarely fights, also added to Tampa Bay home-ice momentum.
“I think somebody’s got to be the villain, I guess. And we’re OK with it," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "The guys play hard, and they’re a determined group. When there’s obstacles in their way, they try and get through it anyway possible. And if it’s fighting their way through it, then so be it. It’s served us well. It’s gotten us a playoff spot."
Tampa Bay, which is 8-5 in playoff series that begin with a home loss, are now 14-8 in Game 2s at home.
“We’re in a fun series right now,” Cooper said. “Two games have gone into overtime. And you can tell it’s a couple of teams that care. I think this one’s far from over.”
SERIES SCHEDULE (best of seven)
Game 1 – Canadiens 4, Lightning 3 (overtime)
Game 2 – Lightning 3, Canadiens 2 (overtime), series tied 1-1
Game 3 – at Montreal on Friday, 7 p.m.(TNT, WXPX-The Spot)
Game 4 – at Montreal on Sunday, 7 p.m. (ESPN, WXPX-The Spot)
Game 5 (if necessary) – at Tampa on Wednesday, April 29, Time TBD
Game 6 (if necessary) – at Montreal on Friday, May 1, Time TBD
Game 7 (if necessary) – at Tampa on Sunday, May 3, Time TBD
Click here to purchase Lightning tickets and find the latest playoff information.
WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.
Moser scored his first career playoff goal 12:48 into the extra period to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, tying their first-round NHL playoff series at 1-all.
After the split at Benchmark International Arena, the series shifts to Montreal's Bell Centre for Game 3 on Friday at 7 p.m. and Game 4 on Sunday at 7 p.m.
The Lightning had lost four consecutive home playoff games and 10 of the past 11, dating to Game 4 against Colorado in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. They had also dropped 11 of the previous 12 playoff games that went to overtime - including Game 1 on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/NHLGoalsVideo/status/2046809466071302145
Following a Montreal icing call, Moser took the puck off a faceoff win by Anthony Cirelli, skated around a stick check attempt by Kirby Dach and beat Jakub Dobes with a wrist shot from inside the left faceoff circle.
“We worked on faceoff plays, and the puck kind of squirts out,’’ Moser said. “I tried to keep it in, skate with it and all of a sudden it opens up. I took it down and take a shot.’’
Kucherov, who was second in NHL this year with 130 points, forced overtime at 12:33 of the third period, collecting a deflected puck off the stick of linemate Brandon Hagel and scoring on a wraparound.
It was his first playoff goal since April 19, 2023, a span of 17 postseason games.
“(Hagel) had a puck, shot the puck on the net,’’ Kucherov said. “I picked it up behind the net and put it in.’’
https://twitter.com/BoltsRadio/status/2046773404808683542
Hagel had a "Gordie Howe hat trick" — a goal, assist and a fight. He sparked the Lightning, scoring the opening goal 8:40 into the first period, assisting on the tying goal and fighting Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky — who had a power-play hat trick in Game 1 — in the second period.
“Whatever it takes to win,’’ Hagel said. “Sometimes it’s going to take fighting, and sometimes it’s going to take scoring goals. I was lucky enough to squeak one by and then (Kucherov) made a good play. Obviously, a good feeling just that we won tonight.’’
Montreal took a 2-1 lead into the third period, getting a power-play goal from Lane Hutson — the Canadiens' fourth with the man advantage in the series — at 16:11 of the first period and a go-ahead goal from Josh Anderson with 1:24 left in the second.
The Canadiens were unable to capitalize on a power play with 2:15 left in regulation after fourth-liner Scott Sabourin was called for interference for a hit into Anderson's back. However, Tampa Bay killed off the man advantage to take the game into overtime.
“Last thing you want to do is go out there and put your team short-handed,” Sabourin said. “That was the kind of the issue for us in Game 1. It’s definitely a line that I’m going to have to toe and try to play between the whistles, assert myself physically when I can but without hurting the team.”
ALSO READ: Lightning fall in overtime to Canadiens in Game 1 of playoff series
Tampa Bay carried that momentum into the extra period, when it outshot Montreal 9-0 — the final shot by Moser into the net.
“It would have been nice to get two (wins),’’ Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. After two periods, I felt we were so close of getting two (wins), especially the way we were playing. It just kind of got away from us a little bit. We didn’t play with the puck a lot. And I feel we carried that into overtime, too. When you keep giving them the puck, you’re just rolling the dice a little bit.’’
Hutson and Anderson scored for the Canadiens. Dobes finished with 31 saves.
Tampa Bay, which led the league in penalty minutes during the regular season, looked get more physical Tuesday after being harrassed by Anderson in Game 1. The Lightning built a brawling reputation this year, a response to being physically dominated by the Florida Panthers during the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
The first period turned ugly early, with 30 total penalty minutes and a melee that filled both penalty boxes 14:20 into the game.
ALSO READ: Fan events planned around Lightning's opening playoff series, which will begin in Tampa
Among the guilty was Hagel, who revved up the home crowd on the way to serving his roughing foul. Hagel's second-period tussle with Slafkovský, who rarely fights, also added to Tampa Bay home-ice momentum.
“I think somebody’s got to be the villain, I guess. And we’re OK with it," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "The guys play hard, and they’re a determined group. When there’s obstacles in their way, they try and get through it anyway possible. And if it’s fighting their way through it, then so be it. It’s served us well. It’s gotten us a playoff spot."
Tampa Bay, which is 8-5 in playoff series that begin with a home loss, are now 14-8 in Game 2s at home.
“We’re in a fun series right now,” Cooper said. “Two games have gone into overtime. And you can tell it’s a couple of teams that care. I think this one’s far from over.”
SERIES SCHEDULE (best of seven)
Game 1 – Canadiens 4, Lightning 3 (overtime)
Game 2 – Lightning 3, Canadiens 2 (overtime), series tied 1-1
Game 3 – at Montreal on Friday, 7 p.m.(TNT, WXPX-The Spot)
Game 4 – at Montreal on Sunday, 7 p.m. (ESPN, WXPX-The Spot)
Game 5 (if necessary) – at Tampa on Wednesday, April 29, Time TBD
Game 6 (if necessary) – at Montreal on Friday, May 1, Time TBD
Game 7 (if necessary) – at Tampa on Sunday, May 3, Time TBD
Click here to purchase Lightning tickets and find the latest playoff information.
WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.