Tag: Calgary Flames

Nikita Kucherov had an exceptional performance in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 8-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday, registering a goal and five assists, tying franchise records for both points and assists in a single game. His stellar play was highlighted by his playmaking abilities, which made the game easier for his teammates, including Brayden Point, who had a goal and three assists. Kucherov’s six points were instrumental in the Lightning’s dominant performance, and Point praised him as a key factor in the team’s success this season. Tampa Bay has now won three of their last four games.

Jake Guentzel also shined in the game, scoring a hat trick, while Anthony Cirelli contributed a goal and two assists. Tampa Bay’s goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, made 19 saves in his 500th NHL game, and defenseman Ryan McDonagh acknowledged Vasilevskiy’s importance to the team, highlighting his consistency and competitiveness. Despite missing key defensemen, including Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak due to injuries, Tampa Bay was able to overpower the Flames, who have struggled recently, losing seven of their last nine games.

The game began with Jonathan Huberdeau putting Calgary ahead 1-0 early in the first period. However, Kucherov tied the game for Tampa Bay shortly before the first intermission with a breakaway goal. In the second period, Guentzel gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead, and Point extended it with a power-play goal. Cirelli’s second power-play goal of the game made it 4-1, but the Flames responded with two quick goals from Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary to cut the deficit to 4-3. However, the Lightning capitalized on defensive breakdowns by Calgary.

The third period saw Tampa Bay take control with a quick goal from Brandon Hagel, followed by another from Guentzel, which increased the lead to 6-3. The Flames struggled to contain the Lightning’s offensive onslaught, as Guentzel completed his hat trick with a tap-in goal set up by Point. Conor Geekie added another goal to seal the win, making it 7-3 before Guentzel finished the game with an 8-3 final score.

Despite the victory, Tampa Bay’s coach Jon Cooper emphasized the importance of defending well in the third period, noting that the team didn’t just rely on their offensive talent to secure the win. He pointed out that the Lightning’s defense in the final 20 minutes was a crucial part of their success. The Flames, on the other hand, struggled with their defensive play, with Kadri acknowledging that poor defense allowed Tampa Bay’s skilled players to exploit their mistakes and put the game out of reach.

After a 2-1 loss, the Tampa Bay Lightning are not focusing on their offensive play as they prepare for a road game against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Instead, the Lightning are concentrating on their defensive game after a disappointing 5-3 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, which ended their two-game winning streak.

“I think we gave up four breakaways in the first 20 minutes,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. “It’s unacceptable, and that’s how you walk away with no points in a hockey game.”

Before the Edmonton game, the Lightning had scored 30 goals over a six-game stretch, which helped them rise to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

But all that was forgotten after a poor performance, despite the unlucky nature of the game-winning goal. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped Leon Draisaitl on a breakaway, but the puck bounced off the skate of defenseman Victor Hedman and into the net.

“We gave up way too many odd-man (rushes) to just blame it on a bad bounce. Probably unlucky how it turned out, but I think we had more in that game,” said Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser. “It was a wasted game. There were certainly points in it for us, and that’s what (stinks) right now.”

Forward Jake Guentzel is heading into the Calgary game with a four-game goal-scoring streak for the Lightning, who are 1-1-0 to start a four-game road trip.

The Flames are returning home after breaking an eight-game road losing streak (0-5-3) with a 4-3 comeback victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Before that win, the Flames had only one victory in their last seven games (1-4-2).

“We found a way to win that game and end that little skid that we had on the road. That’s great,” said forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who has three goals and four assists in a five-game point streak. “Now we’ve got a big stretch coming up at home, so we’ve got to take advantage of that.”

The Flames have earned points in their last seven home games (6-0-1) and have a 10-3-1 record at the Saddledome, where they will play their next five games.

Not only did the Flames score more than three goals for the first time in 26 games (excluding shootout goals), but they also did a great job of shutting down the opposition’s offense in the third period to protect their lead.

“Third period, when the game was on the line, I thought we had some key shot blocks. That’s something that’s important for our team,” said Calgary coach Ryan Huska.

Another key factor was the special teams battle. Calgary’s penalty kill, which had struggled all season, was perfect for the second straight game, and Huberdeau’s game-winning goal came during a second-period power play against the league’s top penalty kill.

“These are the goals that you want to score,” Huberdeau said. “That was a huge one for us, taking that lead. In the third period, we kind of shut down the opposition.”