With a magnificent game in the sixth round of a shootout decided by Victor Hedman’s fantastic performance, the Tampa Bay Lightning made a comeback from a downward spiral of four consecutive home losses by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-3.
This important victory gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a chance to tie the Detroit Red Wings for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the Red Wings still hold two games in hand.
Tampa Bay Lightning Triumph: Offense Soars, Vasilevskiy Ties Record, Kucherov Resilient Against Canadiens
The Tampa Bay Lightning produced their offensive might with points by Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Tyler Motte. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s performance was crucial, he made 28 saves in regulation and thereby tied Tiny Thompson on the 49th spot in the total wins with 284.
Nikita Kucherov, the NHL points leader, added another assist to his outstanding performance, as he now has 105 points altogether. Kucherov broke a tie with the boards in the second period when his edge left and he collided heavily with them. Yet, he persevered because he came back to the game immediately.
Montreal’s Joel Armia, Jake Evans, and Josh Anderson were the goal scorers for the Canadiens who have experienced setbacks with a 2-7-2 points stand in their last 11 games. Goaltender Cayden Primeau demonstrated his potential with 30 saves in regulation, but the Canadiens were defeated in the shootout.
Montreal’s Brief Lead, Lightning’s Comeback: A Swift Turn of Events
It was the Montreal team that demonstrated persistence and dedication as they were able to successfully kill off Cole Caufield’s hooking penalty in overtime, denying Tampa Bay’s ample opportunities from being 4 on 3.
Anderson deflected Caufield’s shot from the right corner, making it 3-2 for Montreal briefly, but shortly. However, Tampa Bay responded with a short-handed goal from Motte, leveling the score at just 9:42.
Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli both played big seconds with goals making Montreal’s 2-0 initial lead shrink. Capped his memorable point streak of 11 games, tying Kucherov for Tampa’s team record this season. And to top it off, Point has a nine-game point run altogether.
About a minute after Stamkos, the Lightning team captain. They had hit the post, and the major responsibility of an assist in Point’s goal fell to him. Cirelli’s equalizer came with just 4:11 minutes left in this period.
Despite the win, Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper brought up concerns about the team’s sluggish start. They are recognizing that leaking the NHL team a two-goal advantage will not give a recipe for success.
Upcoming Games
On Tuesday, the Canadiens will take on the Nashville Predators, and on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Calgary Flames. The upcoming games; are more action-packed as both teams look to strengthen their hold in the highly contested Eastern Conference.
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