The CH will have to find a way to shut down Brandon Hagel

Marc-Olivier Cook
The CH will have to find a way to shut down Brandon Hagel
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

So, what do you think of the series between the Canadiens and the Lightning so far?

Does your initial prediction still hold up?

One thing is for sure: we're learning something here—Brandon Hagel, when it counts… man, he's good. He's probably the best player in the series so far, and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that…

Another thing is absolutely certain: the Canadiens, one way or another, will have to find a way to neutralize him.

Because since the start of the series, Hagel has been everywhere on the ice. He hits, he disrupts the Canadiens' players, he scores goals, he produces offensively… and he also made a mockery of Juraj Slafkovsky in a fight last night.

Hagel is clearly the Lightning's X Factor right now. 

In the playoffs, there are guys who are capable of stepping up.

And clearly, Brandon Hagel is one of them. Forget Nikita Kucherov: right now, Hagel is the Tampa Bay Lightning's most dangerous player.

He's the one who's been giving the Canadiens a particularly hard time since the start of the series. And if I know that, Martin St-Louis must know it too…

I don't know what the ideal solution is. Should Nick Suzuki be glued to Hagel's heels to limit him offensively? Should the most reliable defensemen be immediately sent onto the ice whenever Hagel steps onto the ice?

Should Martin St-Louis tell Arber Xhekaj to pinch him hard whenever he gets the chance? Hehe.

Seriously… no matter what the Canadiens do, the result is the same in the end.

The Habs have to do everything they can to make Hagel look less like a terror on the ice. Because he's going to keep doing whatever he wants, otherwise…


In a nutshell

– Oh…

– Indeed.

– Oh!

– Crazy.

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