Brandon Hagel and Ryan McDonagh scored in the third period to propel Tampa Bay to a win over Ottawa, 4-3. Luke Glendening and Nikita Kucherov also scored as the Bolts found their scoring rhythm after a tough loss on Saturday.
Tampa Bay started the night with a sense of urgency. After a lackluster last few weeks on the ice, Hagel and the Bolts came out strong, recording 10 shots in the first part of the opening period. However, an injury to Nick Paul forced head coach Jon Cooper to make some adjustments.
Those adjustments took some fire out of the Lightning rush, and Ottawa capitalized. Senators forward Michael Amadio fought off a stick battle in front of Andrei Vasilevskiy, scoring on the power play with five minutes left in the first period.
“It’s tough losing anybody,” Cooper said. “But when you lose centers, it’s an issue.”
Paul would not return to the game. There was no update on his prognosis after the game.
Bolts start finding the back of the net
Flustered by a lack of scoring since the new year, the Bolts continued to create chances and finally found the back of the net in the second period. Luke Glendening put the Lightning on the scoreboard early when he redirected an Emil Lilleberg shot past Senator netminder Linus Ullmark.
Tampa Bay would then take the lead later in the period when Nikita Kucherov scored on the power play. The lead was short-lived, as Claude Giroux got a wrist shot past Vasilevskiy less than two minutes after Kucherov’s goal.
The Bolts continued to press as the game went on. Tampa Bay held Ottawa shotless for much of the first half of the third period while creating chances. Hagel scored early in the period when he faked a pass to Jake Guentzel and powered the puck past Ullmark.
Oh that was pretty 👏 pic.twitter.com/pZiipeVYMt
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 5, 2025
Ryan McDonagh scored the game-winning goal late with an empty netter. Ottawa tried to come back when Drake Batherson scored moments later. However, the damage was done, and the Bolts held on for their 28th win of the season.
Cooper highlighted the importance of the win, with Ottawa returning to Amalie Arena later this week.
“It’s rare in this league that you play the same team in the same venue twice in a row,” Cooper said. “And especially when you’re in the same division and fairly close in the standings.”
“So does this one mean a little bit more now than in October? There’s no question. Getting through this one without giving them points was big for us.”
Geekie reassigned, Halverson Brought Up
Early season phenom Conor Geekie was reassigned to the Syracuse Crunch early Tuesday morning, the Lightning announced. Cooper said that the move was anticipated and not a knee-jerk reaction to the team’s recent issues scoring.
“This was talked about with Geeks in training camp, so the fact that he was here 50 games is a tribute to him,” Cooper said. “It’s all part of the process and part of the plan.”
“It’s about Geeks playing 15 years in this league and not 50 games. That’s the goal.”
Brandon Halverson, who signed a two-year contract with the team this week, was dressed and on the bench tonight to back up Vasilevskiy. Jonas Johansson is still out due to injury, and his prognosis is unclear.
Three Stars of the Game
1. Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay. Hagel’s goal lifted the team when they needed it most. As part of a scrappy team effort, Hagel’s physical play led the team to two crucial points.
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy made several key saves throughout the night. His tenacity and quick reflexes held Ottawa in check.
3. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa. Ullmark played a great game and made some key saves against Tampa Bay. He kept Ottawa in the game when their offense struggled to produce.
Up Next
Ottawa spends some time getting to know the Tampa Bay area. The Senators return to Amalie Arena Thursday night to face the Lightning again. This will be the last home game before the Four Nations break. The puck drop is at 7 p.m.
