The Tampa Bay Lightning stunned the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Monday, scoring five times in the first period alone.
Left winger Brandon Hagel assisted on four of those tallies, tying an NHL record for the most in a first period. He becomes just the ninth player in league history to accomplish the feat.
Tampa Bay exited the first frame up 5-1 and it didn’t take the team long to pick right up where it left off in the second.
Hagel registered his fifth assist of the night on a power play goal by teammate Brayden Point to extend his team’s lead to 6-1.
That tied him with three others in franchise history for the most helpers in a game (Mark Recchi, Martin St. Louis and Darren Raddysh).
Hagel was acquired by Tampa Bay in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.
He’s hit career highs in goals (30 in 2022-23), assists (49 in 2023-24) and points (75 in 2023-24) since joining the team and helped it reach its third consecutive Stanley Cup Final in 2022.
This season, Hagel has racked up 26 points in 20 games played (nine goals, 17 assists).
Tampa Bay downed Colorado 8-2 and snapped a two-game skid. It now awaits the Washington Capitals on Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
