Hagel Praises Vasilevskiy After 1-0 Win Forces Game 7

Brandon Hagel said hagel the Lightning have the best goalie in the world after Tampa Bay’s 1-0 overtime win in Montreal sent the series to Game 7. The shutout in Game 6 from Andrei Vasilevskiy kept the Lightning alive and left one game between them and elimination.

Vasilevskiy Stands Behind Tampa Bay

Vasilevskiy made the difference in a game Tampa Bay had to have. He posted the shutout in Game 6, and Hagel’s postgame comments put the spotlight squarely on the goaltender who carried the result.

Hagel said the Lightning have the best goalie in the world, then added that he was excited for this kind of game and that the story is not finished yet. The comments came after a one-goal playoff game that had no margin for error once it reached overtime.

Hagel’s Season Line

Hagel entered the series with 36 goals and 74 points in 71 regular-season games, then added 8 playoff points through 6 games. He also praised the younger players who answered in a pressure spot, a detail that fits the way Tampa Bay had to survive Game 6 with its season hanging in the balance.

Vasilevskiy’s numbers matched the stakes. He went 39-15-4 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a.912 save percentage in 58 regular-season games, then was 3-3 with a 2.20 goals-against average and a.905 save percentage through 6 playoff games.

Tampa Bay Faces Game 7

The win turns the series into a winner-take-all Game 7 in Tampa, with the Lightning now needing one more result to move on. Montreal had the chance to close it out in Game 6, but Tampa Bay’s shutout road win changed the series pressure immediately.