Lightning’s Brandon Hagel drops Juraj Slafkovsky with 1 punch in wild Game 2

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens are locked in a tight Game 2 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Habs won Game 1 in overtime on the road, putting the Bolts on their heels. Game 2 has been nasty, and Brandon Hagel of the Lightning and Juraj Slafkovsky of the Canadiens got into a fight to prove it.

HAGEL AND SLAFKOVSKY DROP THE MITTS AND HAGEL DROPPED HIM pic.twitter.com/WU4tph0jMK

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2026

There were 30 penalty minutes in the first period, mostly coming from two scrums late in the period. Things had slightly cooled off in the second period before Hagel, who scored twice in Game 1, and Slafkovsky, who had a hat trick on Sunday, dropped the gloves. The home crowd was loving it as Hagel dropped Slafkovsky quickly.

If this series is physical throughout, it will likely benefit the Lightning. When Game 1 got fast late in the third and in overtime, the Canadiens were the ones who found the net. But in the scrums and on the margins, the veteran Lightning have the advantage.

The Lightning will likely be without Victor Hedman for the entire series. He has missed most of the season, so they know how to play and win without him. But the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner is still vital to the team’s defense and could swing the series if he comes back.

The Lightning and Canadiens may want this series to be violent and nasty. But with two of their better scorers in the box, neither team could break the 1-1 deadlock in the second period. Hagel and Slafkovsky are far too important to be hurt for extended periods of time or be in the box for five minutes every game. If the fights become a daily occurrence, expect to see an enforcer draw in on either side to keep the stars upright.

Can the Lightning tie the series at one?

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