Key Lightning player ruled out before Atlantic showdown against Sabres
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres have jostled for position atop the NHL’s Atlantic Division for more than a month. As the teams prepare to face off Monday, April 6, for the final time in 2025-26, the Montreal Canadiens have joined the chat. Heading into Monday’s schedule, Tampa Bay leads the division with 102 points.
Meanwhile, the Sabres and Canadiens sit just two points behind. The Lightning have a game in hand on both teams. Still, the Sabres have designs on their first division championship since 2010.
Winning Monday’s home game against the Lightning would put them back on track. To that end, Tampa Bay announced it will be without a key player. Left wing Brandon Hagel, the team’s third-leading scorer, will miss a third straight game due to injury, Tampa Bay Times beat reporter Eduardo A.
Encina posted on X . So far, Hagel has 35 goals, which ties a career high he set last season, and 38 assists for Tampa Bay. His 73 points rank third on the team behind Nikita Kucherov’s 125 and Jake Guentzel’s 84.
Hagel suffered an undisclosed injury on March 31 during a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens. Hagel became a lightning rod during the most recent Tampa Bay-Buffalo matchup, a wild 8-7 victory by the Sabres on March 8 in Buffalo. He received a $5,000 fine from the NHL for being the aggressor in a fight with Sabres star Rasmus Dahlin.