The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Florida Panthers 4-2 in Game 4 of their first-round matchup. After falling down 2-1, Florida scored two times in 11 seconds with less than four minutes left to steal the win. Now, they are up 3-1 heading back to Tampa, looking to put away their rivals. Lightning forward Brandon Hagel suffered an injury in the second period that knocked him out of the game. Tampa announced Tuesday that he will miss Game 5.

“Injury Update: Brandon Hagel will not play in Game 5 tomorrow, per Coach Cooper,” the team's official account posted.

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad caught Hagel high with a forearm hit along the wall. While Hagel left the game, Ekblad was not penalized for the hit. This comes after Hagel was suspended for Game 4 for a hit on Matthew Tkachuk, which injured the forward. While he did miss the game, it did not turn down the temperature in the Battle of Florida.

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Ekblad will have a hearing for the hit with the Department of Player Safety. It would be his second suspension of the season, just two games after the first one ended. His 20-game PED ban ended after Game 2.

The Lightning will be without Hagel with their season on the line on Wednesday night. He has been a key player since joining the Bolts in 2022. But the one game they won in this series came without the 35-goal scorer. If they can survive at home on Wednesday, they may get him back for their return to Sunrise on Friday.

Without Hagel late on Monday, the Lightning collapsed. They allowed the Panthers to take a commanding series lead while the home crowd pushed them forward. Tampa's championship run could be over if they lose. Can they pull off the comeback?