The Tampa Bay Lightning (13-7-2) are on a four-game winning streak and are taking no prisoners. They continued that on Monday with a 3-0 win vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (11-7-3). They scored goals in the first (Brandon Hagel, 15:34), second (16:00) and third (19:45) to win it.
The first line of The Lightning Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov won them the match, even though Brayden Point was eliminated. Kucherov led the way with three assists and a plus-3 plus/minus, but Hagel had two goals and an assist on the night. Cirelli also earned a goal and assist, so Hagel and Cirelli are now third and fourth on the team in points (behind Jake Guentzel and Kucherov).
Andrei Vasilevskiy again performed strongly in the net, stopping all twenty shots he faced. That included overcoming a power play the Flyers were on. Philadelphia actually beat Tampa Bay 20-18, and they had more chances on the power play (2 to 1), but Vasilevskiy was in Vezina form.
The Lightning that was revered in the preseason is back with a vengeance. With 28 points, Tampa Bay rises to the No. 1 spot in the Atlantic, just as most people predicted this offseason. The Flyers, meanwhile, remain at 25 points, putting them back in the mosh pit of the wild card battle.
Brandon Hagel is back to himself
It’s amazing to think that Hagel struggled early in the season. He struggled at the start of the season, recording just one assist in his first seven games. Since then, he has scored eleven goals and ten points in his last fifteen games.
Related: Lightning’s Brandon Hagel regaining score touch
In his past two games, Hagel has gone nuclear, totaling four goals, three assists and seven points. His 11 goals rank him only second on the team behind Guentzel, and he has proven to be a thorough first-line talent. On Monday, he scored a goal in the first and the empty-netter in the third to seal the victory.
Again, it’s insane how much Hagel has developed since taking over the Chicago Blackhawks. In his first full season in Tampa Bay (2022-23), he had 64 points in 81 games, and in 2024-25 he had 90 points in 82 games. If this recent stretch is any indication, he could average well over a point per game again.
Vasilevsky is on fire
Vasilevskiy has been as advertised for the Lightning this season. His save percentage of .911 (SV%) is sixth in the NHLdown from last season’s total of .921, but in his most recent stint it appears he could surpass that number.
In his past four games, Vasilevskiy has allowed just three goals. On November 15 against the Florida Panthers, he saved 22 of 23 shots. At home against the New Jersey Devils on November 18, he stopped 31 of 32. Against the Edmonton Oilers on November 20, he stopped 24 of 25 shots, and against the Flyers on Monday he saved all 20 shots he faced. It was the 41st shutout of his NHL career.
If Vasilevskiy can keep up this pace, he could be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy again, especially with the recent news of Connor Hellebuyck missing time. Either way, no Lightning fan should have to worry about their netminder.
Tampa is back
In early October, the Lightning were going through one of the worst stretches in recent memory. In the first seven games of the season they were 1-4-2. They were one of the worst teams in the league, with everyone but Kucherov, Guentzel and Point struggling.
Fast forward to late November and the Lightning are rolling. They’ve come all the way back from the bottom of the Eastern Conference. With 28 points and a four-match winning streak, they now sit at the top of the Atlantic.
Depth, such as Charles-Edouard D’Astous and Dominic James, has stepped up and JJ Moser has filled in well as the No. 1 right-handed defenseman with Ryan McDonagh’s injury. Tampa is only three points ahead of the wild card teams, so anything can happen, but Lightning fans should feel a sense of relief knowing that Tampa Bay is still a team to be feared in the Eastern Conference.
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