0
0
Tampa Bay Lightning Triumph Over New York Rangers
Brayden Point delivered a stellar performance with three goals and three assists, while Nikita Kucherov contributed a goal and four assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Metropolitan Division leaders, New York Rangers, with a score of 6-3 on Thursday night.
Steven Stamkos and Anthony Duclair also found the back of the net, with Andrei Vasilevskiy making 25 saves to help the Lightning bounce back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Currently occupying the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, Tampa Bay stands four points ahead of the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, who are vying for the second wild card position.
Point’s incredible backhand pass to Stamkos on a power-play resulted in a crucial goal to make it 4-3 in the third period. Point then completed his fourth career hat trick, followed by assisting on Kucherov’s empty-net goal, earning him a career-high six points and tying a team record.
Kucherov, showcasing his talent once again, stands second in the NHL with 112 points and has now joined Edmonton’s Connor McDavid as the only active players with three or more 70-assist seasons.
Carolina Hurricanes Dominate Florida Panthers
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his first goal as a member of the Hurricanes, while Frederik Anderson recorded his first shutout in over a year as the Carolina Hurricanes secured a 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Joining Kuznetsov on the scoresheet were Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, and Andrei Svechnikov, with Jaccob Slavin contributing two assists. Anderson’s stellar performance in goal, making 21 saves, ensured the Hurricanes’ success in the matchup.
The win marked Anderson’s third victory in three games since returning from an early November injury, with the shutout being his 25th in his career. On the other side, Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for the Panthers, who suffered their second defeat in 10 games.
Boston Bruins Edge Past Montreal Canadiens in Overtime
Jake DeBrusk’s overtime goal just 25 seconds into the extra period secured a thrilling 2-1 victory for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens. DeBrusk’s goal, assisted by Brad Marchand, added to the high-energy atmosphere at the Bell Centre, marking his 16th goal of the season.
Earlier in the game, Danton Heinen scored for Boston in the first period, with Linus Ullmark making 18 saves in his second consecutive win. Nick Suzuki scored the lone goal for Montreal, with Sam Montembeault stopping 22 shots in a hard-fought contest.
Buffalo Sabres Blank New York Islanders
Ukko-Pekko Luukkonen’s exceptional performance in goal with 21 saves led the Buffalo Sabres to a commanding 4-0 victory over the New York Islanders, marking their third consecutive win and matching a season high.
Victor Olofsson, Dylan Cozens, and Zach Benson all found the back of the net during a dominant second-period surge, outshooting the Islanders 29-11 through two periods and 37-21 overall in the game. The win puts Buffalo within three points of the Islanders and Red Wings, who are currently tied for the second wild card position.
Arizona Coyotes Defeat Detroit Red Wings
Rookie Logan Cooley scored a crucial short-handed goal in the first period, and Michael Carcone’s goal in the second period broke the tie as the Arizona Coyotes triumphed over the Detroit Red Wings with a score of 4-1. Connor Ingram’s strong performance in goal with 28 saves ensured the Coyotes’ victory, their fourth win in 22 games.
For Detroit, Nick Bjugstad scored the lone goal while the Red Wings struggled, losing seven straight games in regulation for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Boos echoed through the arena as Detroit faced this disappointing defeat, following a decent six-game winning streak earlier in the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Overcome San Jose Sharks
John Ludvig and Rickard Rakell scored two crucial goals just two minutes apart in the third period to help the Pittsburgh Penguins pull away from the San Jose Sharks and secure a 6-3 victory. Ludvig’s goal, his second of the season, came early in the third period to cut the deficit to one, followed by Rakell’s deflection goal to seal the win.
Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Jeff Carter, and Noel Acciari also scored for the Penguins, with Tristan Jarry making 30 saves to snap a four-game losing streak. Fabian Zetterlund, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Klim Kostin scored for the Sharks, who suffered their 11th loss in 12 games.
Ottawa Senators Triumph Over Columbus Blue Jackets
Claude Giroux played a pivotal role, scoring in regulation and the shootout, as the Ottawa Senators completed a remarkable come-from-behind victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets with a score of 3-2. Giroux’s performance, including a crucial shootout goal, helped Ottawa rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period to secure their second consecutive win after a seven-game losing streak.
Tim Stützle also played a critical role, scoring at a crucial moment to help Ottawa tie the game and eventually secure the victory. Anton Forsberg’s solid performance in goal, making 35 saves, ensured Ottawa’s success in this tightly contested matchup.
Image/Photo credit: source url
