Brandon Hagel offers candid comments on a player in Montreal

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Brandon Hagel backed Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Jon Cooper now heads into Game 7 with Tampa Bay’s belief fully riding in net.

Hagel did not dance around it after the 1-0 overtime win in Montreal. He said the Lightning have the best goalie in the world, and after Friday night, that sounded a lot less like hype and a lot more like a warning.

That is the strongest angle here. Tampa Bay did not just survive elimination. The Lightning got dragged back into this series by Vasilevskiy, and Hagel made sure everybody heard it.

The result gave that message real weight. Vasilevskiy posted the shutout in Game 6, and the series is now headed to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Tampa.

Hagel also made a point of praising the younger players who answered in a pressure spot. That matters because this was not only a star-driven escape. Tampa Bay got a full-bench push when it had no margin left.

Then came the other part of Hagel’s message. He made it clear the Lightning are excited for this kind of game and that the story is not finished yet.

That lands because Hagel has earned the right to say it. He finished the regular season with 36 goals and 74 points in 71 games, then followed it with 8 playoff points through 6 games.

#GoBolts Brandon Hagel on what the team learned today: “I think we found out we’ve got the best goalie in the world. I think we already knew that, but he was incredible. I think a lot of the young guys stepped up as well, including Gage and James. I thought a lot of guys gave everything they got.

Obviously we needed to win that game, and it was kind of a win or lose situation. But I think at the end of the day, no matter the result, I think we had probably 20 guys that could have looked themselves in the mirror and said they gave everything. So credit to everyone out there, but we haven’t won anything yet. And I think everyone in the room knows that.”

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Vasilevskiy gives Tampa Bay its clearest edge

This is where Cooper’s group becomes dangerous again. When a series gets pushed to one game, having Vasilevskiy in your crease changes the emotional balance before puck drop.

His regular season gave plenty of support to Hagel’s claim. Vasilevskiy went 39-15-4 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in 58 games.

And the playoff line is still strong even with the series swings. Through 6 games, he is 3-3 with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

Hagel’s words also send a message across the ice. Montreal just got told, in plain terms, that Tampa Bay believes the best player in the series wears goalie pads.

That does not guarantee anything Sunday. One hot goalie can still get beat, and one bad bounce can flip a season.

But Hagel’s quote did what a good playoff quote should do. It put the pressure, the confidence, and the whole Game 7 mood squarely on Vasilevskiy’s shoulders, and Tampa Bay looks comfortable with that.

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