For the Tampa Bay Lightning, recent nights had been filled with frustration, staring at the scoreboard and wondering what more they could do to score goals. They had plenty of chances, but a combination of red-hot goaltenders, misfires, and those dreaded pings off the post had kept them at bay. But Thursday night, against one of the NHL’s toughest defensive teams, Tampa Bay flipped the script. A single early goal carried them through as they survived the Los Angeles Kings’ third-period push, eventually sealing a much-needed 3-0 victory at Amalie Arena with two late goals.
“You never really know when the goals are going to come,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “And I guess the lesson is that you can still defend your way to a win. ... We clearly needed that.”
A Long-Awaited Breakthrough
Heading into Thursday’s game, the Lightning (27-20-3) had struggled offensively, scoring just one goal over their previous two games and failing to notch more than two goals in three of their last four contests. Despite generating plenty of scoring opportunities, they couldn’t find the back of the net often enough. The victory wasn’t just about the two points in the standings—it was about restoring confidence and proving they could finish the job.
A significant part of that success came from goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who recorded his third shutout of the season—and his first since November 16. After missing Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks due to illness and skipping Wednesday’s practice, Vasilevskiy returned in dominant form.
“Vasy was Vasy. Sick or not, I think he’s still the best in the world,” said forward Brandon Hagel, whose stellar two-goal, three-point night played a crucial role in securing the win.
An Emotional Lift
Hagel’s first-period goal provided an early spark, and his celebration reflected just how much the team needed a break. It wasn’t just about scoring—it was about momentum, confidence, and a sense of relief.
Gage Goncalves set up the play, sending a pass to Hagel as he flew through the neutral zone. Hagel skillfully cut inside Kings defenseman Jordan Spence, maneuvered the puck under his stick, and drove hard to the net. He then fired a shot past goaltender David Rittich, slipping it between his legs for the opening goal. The crowd erupted, and Hagel’s reaction was just as electric—yelling, throwing his left fist into the air, and leaping onto the glass.
“The best part of hockey is scoring goals,” Hagel said. “I just love scoring goals. You don’t get to do it very often, you don’t get to do it forever. So for me, it’s the best thing in the world.”
The Kings nearly tied things up in the second period when Quinton Byfield put the puck past Vasilevskiy. However, the Lightning successfully challenged the goal, proving that Byfield was offside.
“That was a big turning point,” Cooper said. “If the game is tied there, who knows what happens? But we felt we should have been up by more than one after two periods. The question was, how were we going to handle the third?”
Sticking to the Game Plan
With Vasilevskiy coming off an illness, the Lightning focused on ensuring they weren’t stuck in their defensive zone too often. They executed that plan well, limiting the Kings’ offensive chances.
“There’s always that nervous moment when they get a really good chance,” Cooper said. “But Vasy looked calm, which was great to see.”
Tampa Bay’s third line—Zemgus Girgensons, Nick Paul, and Gage Goncalves—was particularly effective in keeping up offensive pressure. During their 5-on-5 play, they combined for 12 shot attempts and seven shots on goal, both of which led the team.
“We just work hard,” Paul said. “We keep the pressure on, force turnovers, and make sure we’re getting pucks to the net. When a line keeps hounding and hounding, it’s tough for the other team to get out of the zone. That’s what we try to do.”
Closing It Out
Despite having 29 of their 37 scoring attempts in the first two periods, the Lightning only had Hagel’s goal to show for it. But in the third period, they locked things down defensively, limiting the Kings to just seven shots on goal. Finally, their patience paid off with two late insurance goals.
In their previous 15 games, the Lightning’s expected goals were 53.58, yet they had only scored 38. That trend continued Thursday as they didn’t even come close to their expected goals of 4.5. But rather than getting frustrated, the team stayed the course.
“We just put it behind us,” Hagel said. “It is what it is at this point. It’s almost funny when you look at how many just haven’t gone in. But we knew they would come eventually, and they did.”
The breakthrough moment came when Hagel won a defensive-zone faceoff and chipped the puck forward to Nikita Kucherov, who burst toward the net. Rittich rushed out to challenge him, leaving a loose puck up for grabs. Hagel, who had beaten Kings defenseman Drew Doughty to the play, jumped on the rebound and buried it with just over four minutes remaining.
With 77 seconds left, Hagel added an assist to his night, setting up Anthony Cirelli’s shorthanded empty-net goal to seal the deal.
“It’s been tough,” Hagel admitted. “The chances have been there, but earlier in the season, those pucks were going in, and now they’re not. But we’ve stuck with it, pushed through the frustration, and just kept playing our game.”
A Win That Means More
For the Lightning, this wasn’t just another regular-season victory. It was a statement win. A game that showed they could grind it out, play solid defense, and finally capitalize on their chances when it mattered most.
With the playoff race heating up, this kind of resilient effort could be just what they need to build momentum down the stretch. And if Vasilevskiy can continue playing at his best—even after missing time with illness—the Lightning might just be gearing up for another deep run.
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