The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday at the Delta Center. This win marks a significant turnaround for the Lightning after a slow start to the 2025 season.
The game was a tightly contested affair. Utah struck first with a goal from Lawson Crouse at 5:55 into the first period. Yanni Gourde responded for the Lightning, tying the game at 1-1 with a snap shot assisted by Emil Lilleberg and Zemgus Girgensons.
In the second period, Anthony Cirelli put the Lightning ahead with a slap shot, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Victor Hedman. The Mammoth kept the pressure on, and Kailer Yamamoto tied the game early in the third period.
Guentzel proved to be a key player, scoring the game-winning goal on an unassisted snap shot in the third period. Brandon Hagel added an empty-net goal to seal the victory for the Lightning.
Goaltender Jonas Johansson's performance was also crucial to the Lightning's success. According to Lightning coach Jon Cooper, the team focused on protecting the middle of the ice, responding well after allowing an early breakaway goal. He also noted that the team didn't allow many odd-man rushes.
The Lightning are now 6-4-2 for the season and will continue their three-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. This is the Lightning's first five-game-plus win streak since they won eight consecutive games from February 4 to March 1 last season.
Brendan Hagel has been a consistent contributor during the win streak. He emphasized the team's focus on playing fast, with the defensemen doing a good job of getting the puck up the ice to the forwards. He also acknowledged Johansson's strong performance in net.
Several Lightning players have reached milestones recently. Hagel now has 244 points with Tampa Bay, passing Pavo Kabina for 18th-best in franchise history. Cirelli's overtime game-winning goal on Thursday was his fifth career overtime goal, tying him with Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson in the top 10 in franchise history. Andrei Vasilevskiy is currently on a three-game win streak, stopping 56 out of 60 shots in those games for a .933 save percentage.
