TAMPA — Defenseman J.J. Moser delivered a clutch overtime goal at 12:48, lifting the Tampa Bay Lightning to a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Benchmark International Arena on Tuesday night.
Moser scores in OT as Bolts beat Canadiens 3-2 in Game 2
After Anthony Cirelli won a crucial face-off, Moser gathered the puck, skated from the blue line into the right circle, and unleashed a perfectly placed shot over Jakub Dobes’ glove. “It’s a face-off play—the puck squirted out, and I just tried to keep it alive,” Moser explained. “I carried it down, saw an opening, and let it fly. We emphasized getting more pucks to the net tonight, and that’s playoff hockey.”
The Lightning had struggled in recent postseason overtimes, going 0-7 in their previous seven extra-time games. But this resilient group found a way. “The guys battled hard—they’re a determined bunch,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. “When obstacles pop up, they find a path through them.”
Brandon Hagel tallied a goal and an assist, while Nikita Kucherov added a key marker for the No. 2 seed Lightning from the Atlantic Division. Cirelli contributed two helpers, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall with 25 saves. For Montreal, the No. 3 Atlantic seed, Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson scored, with Dobes turning aside 31 shots.
Scenes from Game 2 as Lightning tie the series at 1 against the Canadiens
Hagel opened the scoring at 8:40 of the first period, banging home his own rebound with a slap shot to the far post after his initial attempt was blocked. “We’re at our best when we play with emotion,” Hagel said. “I wanted to bring that fire and get everyone going. Big win, but we know this series is going to be a grind.”
Hutson evened it at 1-1 late in the opening frame with his first career playoff goal—a power-play one-timer from the point that slipped under Vasilevskiy’s blocker. Anderson put the Canadiens ahead 2-1 in the second period after a gritty board battle led to a backhand feed that he chipped past the goalie.
Kucherov tied the game at 2-2 midway through the third, capitalizing on a loose puck off the end boards for a nifty wraparound. Montreal nearly stole it in regulation during a late power play, but Hutson’s shot rang off the post with seconds left.
“The guys played with poise early, but we let it slip in the third,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis noted. “Going home tied 1-1 is a positive, though.”
The best-of-seven series is now even. Game 3 shifts to Bell Centre in Montreal on Friday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, The Spot).
“Honestly, avoiding an 0-2 hole gives us a fighting chance,” Cooper added.
NOTES: Kucherov’s goal was his first in the playoffs since 2023. Moser became the first Lightning player to notch his maiden postseason goal as an OT winner. Cirelli dominated the face-off circle at 19-for-31.