CALGARY, Alberta — In an exciting game on Thursday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning triumphed over the Calgary Flames with a score of 8-3. Nikita Kucherov played a pivotal role, contributing one goal and five assists to the Lightning’s impressive performance, while Jake Guentzel netted a hat trick to aid in the victory. Brayden Point also shined with a goal and three assists, alongside contributions from Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Conor Geekie, who added to the score sheet for Tampa Bay. This win came as the team played without its captain, Victor Hedman, who is sidelined due to a lower-body injury.

Tampa Bay surged ahead with four unanswered goals, quickly establishing a commanding 4-1 lead. The scoring spree included two power-play goals from Cirelli and Point, complemented by a breakaway goal from Kucherov and Guentzel’s opening tally for the match. Despite efforts from Calgary as Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary scored to narrow the gap, the Lightning regained their momentum early in the third period when Hagel found the net just 43 seconds in. Guentzel added two more goals, with Geekie also scoring, sealing the decisive victory for Tampa Bay.

In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy marked a milestone by becoming the first Lightning goaltender to appear in 500 games, recording 19 saves during the match. The 30-year-old goalie now holds the record for the most wins (306) by an NHL netminder in their first 500 games. On the opposite end, Calgary’s Dan Vladar made 18 saves in his second consecutive start.

**Key Takeaways:**
From the Lightning’s perspective, they demonstrated incredible depth in their forward lineup, effectively coping with Hedman’s absence and overwhelming the Flames. For Calgary, their penalty-killing unit faced setbacks, failing to stop Tampa Bay on three opportunities following recent success in previous games on the road.

**Key Moment:**
The Lightning solidified their grip on the game with two power-play goals in the second period, enabling them to take a 4-1 lead, forcing the Flames to play catch-up for the remainder of the match.

**Key Stat:**
Brayden Point has extended his point streak to four consecutive games, racking up three goals and ten assists during that stretch, showcasing his critical role in Tampa Bay’s offensive efforts.

**Up Next:**
The Lightning will face the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, concluding their four-game Western road trip, while the Flames will be at home to take on the Panthers the same evening.