PITTSBURGH — Brayden Point made his return from injury a memorable one, netting the game-winning goal at 3:58 of overtime, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
Point, who had been sidelined for two weeks due to a lower-body issue, initiated the Lightning’s comeback during the third period with a goal at 5:41. This marked his 10th goal of the season. Anthony Cirelli contributed to the scoreline as well, adding his fifth goal for Tampa Bay.
In net, Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 17 saves to help his team secure the win. This victory not only signifies Tampa Bay’s resilience but also marks their first successful multigoal comeback in the third period since their 3-2 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings on January 9.
On the other end, Pittsburgh got on the board first with Jesse Puljujarvi scoring, and Rickard Rakell later added a power-play goal after breaking a nine-game scoring drought, bringing his tally to seven goals this season.
Sidney Crosby played a pivotal role for the Penguins, providing an assist that allowed him to move past Hall of Famer Joe Sakic, placing him 13th on the all-time assists leaderboard in NHL history. Crosby now boasts 1,017 assists, just 16 behind Mario Lemieux, who holds 12th place with 1,033.
Tristan Jarry had a busy night in goal for Pittsburgh, making a total of 32 saves.
Key Takeaways
The Lightning are now on a three-game winning streak, having outscored their previous two opponents, Winnipeg and New Jersey, 8-1, before overcoming a tough challenge against Pittsburgh. On the flip side, the Penguins have struggled recently, losing four of their last five matches. This defeat marked their second consecutive game in which they allowed a two-goal advantage to slip away in the third period, contributing to their troubling record of 12 losses in the last 16 games.
Key Moment
The decisive goal in overtime occurred when Point received a pass from J.J. Moser behind the net. Jarry found himself out of position after attempting to save Moser’s initial shot, creating an opening for Point to slide the puck in off the near post for the game-winner.
Key Stat
With this latest goal, Point notched his 11th career overtime goal, moving him past Martin St. Louis to secure second place in franchise history for overtime goals.
What’s Next
The Lightning are set to visit Columbus on Thursday, while the Penguins will continue their five-game homestand on Friday against Winnipeg.