TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy delivered an impressive performance, securing 27 saves to notch his fourth shutout of the season and the 38th in his NHL career, as the Tampa Bay Lightning triumphed over the Calgary Flames 3-0 on Thursday night.
Nikita Kucherov, Erik Cernak, and Brandon Hagel were the goal scorers for Tampa Bay, contributing to the team’s seventh consecutive victory. This winning streak marks the Lightning’s longest since they achieved a 10-game streak between January 29 and February 17, 2020. Over their last nine outings, Tampa Bay boasts an 8-0-1 record.
In goal for Calgary, Dustin Wolf managed 20 saves, despite his team being shut out for the third time during this season.
The game’s first goal came from Kucherov, who struck during a power play in the final moments of the first period. His intended pass was redirected off the skate of Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, leading to Tampa Bay’s initial lead. Cernak extended this advantage to 2-0 at 3:51 into the third period. Hagel sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 2:50 remaining.
In terms of takeaways, Calgary forward Blake Coleman marked his 600th career game, having won Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay in both 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri’s streak of seven consecutive games with points was snapped.
For Tampa Bay, center Anthony Cirelli equaled his career-best with 45 points this season. Vasilevskiy, demonstrating excellent form, improved to 11-0-1 in his last 12 starts.
A critical moment in the match came early in the second period when the Flames, on a power play and trailing by a goal, saw Jonathan Huberdeau’s rebound opportunity brilliantly thwarted as Vasilevskiy extended left to make the save.
A notable statistic for Tampa Bay is their success in maintaining leads, with the team winning its 20th successive game when going into the final period ahead.
Both teams continue their campaigns on Saturday night. Calgary will face Florida, while Tampa Bay heads to Washington.
