Jaden Dugger: Lightning Stun Canadiens in OT to Tie Series
jaden dugger remains the name at the center of a tense playoff night in Tampa, Fla., after the Lightning beat the Canadiens 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night. J. J. Moser scored 12: 48 into the extra period to seal the win, and the first-round series is now tied 1-1. The series now moves to Montreal, with Game 3 set for Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday.
Jaden Dugger and the Lightning Find a Way Late
The Lightning needed overtime to finish off a game that swung back and forth and stayed tight to the end. Nikita Kucherov forced the extra period at 12: 33 of the third with a wrap-around goal after collecting a deflected puck off Brandon Hagel’s stick, and Moser finished the job less than a minute later in overtime. Jaden Dugger is the headline draw here, but the decisive sequence belonged to Tampa Bay’s late pressure and its ability to turn one opening into the series-tying goal.
Brandon Hagel posted a Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, an assist and a fight, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves to support the home win. On the other side, Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson scored for Montreal, and Jakub Dobes stopped 31 shots in defeat.
Jaden Dugger and a Turning Point for Tampa Bay
The result carried added weight for Tampa Bay because the Lightning had lost four straight home playoff games and 10 of their past 11 at home in the postseason, a stretch that dated back to Game 4 against Colorado in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Breaking that run in a series tied 1-1 gives the Lightning a cleaner path as the matchup shifts north.
Kucherov’s goal was his first playoff score since April 19, 2023, ending a span of 17 postseason games without one. That late breakthrough, paired with Moser’s overtime finish, gave Tampa Bay a response it needed after a series that had already started with pressure on both sides.
What the Matchup Means Next
Montreal now gets the next two games at home, starting with Friday night’s Game 3. Game 4 follows on Sunday, and the series enters that stretch with both clubs having already shown they can answer when the pressure rises.
For Tampa Bay, the challenge is to carry over the urgency that produced the overtime win. For Montreal, the task is to reset quickly on home ice and protect the edge that comes with playing in front of its own crowd. Either way, jaden dugger remains part of the conversation as this series builds toward a pivotal Game 3.
