J.J. Moser scored 12:48 into overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The victory evened the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at 1-1.

The Lightning dominated the extra period, outshooting Montreal 9-0, and were rewarded when Moser found the back of the net. Following a faceoff win in the offensive zone, Moser skated to the top of the right circle and fired a pinpoint shot into the top corner, marking his first career playoff goal.

Montreal, which had won Game 1 in overtime, struggled in the extra period. The Canadiens were unable to generate a single shot on goal in overtime.

The series now shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday.

Brandon Hagel played a pivotal role for Tampa Bay, collecting a goal and an assist. Nikita Kucherov also found the net, while Anthony Cirelli recorded two assists. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves, helping the Lightning break a series of postseason struggles. Prior to this win, Tampa Bay had lost four straight games and had suffered 10 defeats in their last 11 playoff home games, including seven consecutive overtime losses.

For Montreal, Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson each scored. Goaltender Jakub Dobes stopped 31 shots, including eight in overtime, but the Canadiens ultimately fell short.

The game started with a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging goals in the first period. Hagel gave the Lightning the lead with a slap shot from the left circle at 8:40, his third goal of the series. Hutson responded for Montreal, tying the game less than eight minutes later with a power-play one-timer that deflected off a defender.

Anderson put the Canadiens ahead late in the second period, scoring with 84 seconds remaining. Jake Evans won a puck battle deep in the Tampa Bay zone, and Phillip Danault passed it to the front, where Anderson was ready to chip it in for his second goal of the series.

Kucherov tied the game at 12:33 of the third period. Hagel intercepted a Montreal clearing attempt and sent a long shot wide, but Kucherov pounced on the loose puck behind the net and scored on a wraparound for his first playoff goal in 17 games. His previous playoff goal had come on April 18, 2023, in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Lightning will look to carry their momentum into Montreal for the next game in this hard-fought playoff series.

-Field Level Media/Reuters