Canadiens Force OT Thriller as Hutson Delivers in Game 4 vs Lightning

MONTREAL — April 27, 2026 — Lane Hutson’s laser slap shot in overtime secured a 3-2 victory for the Montreal Canadiens over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, evening the best-of-seven matchup at 2-2.

The goal came at 8:12 of the extra period after Hutson collected a loose puck near the right faceoff circle and unleashed a one-timer that beat Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy glove-side. The play began with a defensive zone turnover forced by Joel Armia, setting up the Canadiens’ transition chance.

Montreal struck first in the first period when Nick Suzuki deflected a point shot from David Savard past Vasilevskiy at 14:38. Tampa Bay answered twice in the second period — Brandon Hagel redirected a shot from Nikita Kucherov at 8:22, and Perry scored on a wraparound attempt after gathering his own rebound at 12:17.

The Canadiens leveled the score in the third period when Kirby Dach pounced on a loose puck in front of the net following a scramble, shooting high glove-side at 16:03 to make it 2-2. The goal came after sustained pressure in Tampa Bay’s end, with Dach battling through contact to reach the loose puck.

Montreal outshot Tampa Bay 38-32 including a 14-7 advantage in the third period. Vasilevskiy made 35 saves for the Lightning, although Canadiens’ rookie netminder Jakub Dobes stopped 30 shots in his first career playoff start.

Dobes, who replaced an injured Cayden Primeau after warm-ups, faced 12 shots in the first period and held Tampa Bay to just two goals despite multiple high-danger chances. His performance included a glove save on Kucherov’s one-timer from the left circle at 18:44 of the second period.

The Lightning dominated early, outshooting Montreal 11-3 in the first ten minutes, but the Canadiens adjusted their forecheck pressure after the first period, limiting Tampa Bay to just eight shots over the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Montreal’s top line of Suzuki, Slafkovský, and Caufield generated multiple chances but went scoreless at even strength until Dach’s third-period goal. Slafkovský registered six hits and two blocked shots, leading all forwards in physical play.

Tampa Bay entered the game without injured defenseman Victor Hedman, who remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. The Lightning relied on seven defensemen, with Erik Černák logging 28:15 of ice time — the highest among all skaters.

For Montreal, defenseman Arber Xhekaj led the team with four blocked shots and delivered the hit that forced the turnover leading to Hutson’s overtime winner. Xhekaj played 22:48 and registered a team-high five hits.

The series now shifts to Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay for Game 5 on April 29, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Local time (ET). The winner will advance to face either the Florida Panthers or Boston Bruins in the second round.

As the Canadiens celebrate a hard-fought road split, the focus turns to sustaining their defensive structure and generating more offense from their top units. For Tampa Bay, the challenge lies in breaking through Montreal’s tightened defensive coverage while getting contributions beyond their star players.

What’s next: Game 5 at Amalie Arena on April 29. Follow live updates and analysis on Archysport.com as the series continues.