Victor Hedman played a pivotal role in Tampa Bay’s commanding 6-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, scoring twice and contributing three points to the team’s triumph.
Notable performances also came from Nikita Kucherov, who netted a goal and provided two assists, and Jake Guentzel, who scored twice. Both Brayden Point and Darren Raddysh added two assists each, while Mitchell Chaffee managed to find the back of the net for Tampa Bay. The team’s victory was backed by Jonas Johansson’s 31 saves.
For Columbus, Zach Werenski was the sole player to score, achieving both goals as the team previously enjoyed a four-game winning streak. Despite his efforts, Tampa Bay’s defensive and offensive play proved too strong. Columbus’ goalie, Elvis Merzlikins, recorded 34 saves during the match.
The Lightning wasted no time, scoring twice within the first 1:37 minutes of the game. Chaffee tipped in Emil Lilleberg’s shot just 30 seconds after the start, followed by Kucherov’s breakaway goal just 1:07 later. Although Werenski managed to narrow the gap for Columbus, Guentzel restored the two-goal lead early in the second period. Hedman further extended this advantage midway through the period, though Werenski struck again with a short-handed goal. Hedman’s power-play goal in the third, coupled with Guentzel’s empty-net finish, secured the win for Tampa Bay.
In terms of key highlights, Werenski achieved his second career 20-goal season, becoming the third American defenseman to accomplish multiple 20-goal seasons after Dustin Byfuglien and Brian Leetch. On Tampa Bay’s side, their swift opening goals were the third fastest to begin a game in the team’s history. Additionally, Guentzel maintained his scoring consistency against the Blue Jackets with a point streak extending over 15 consecutive games.
The game-changing moment came when Hedman assisted Guentzel for a crucial goal early in the second period, quickly restoring Tampa Bay’s two-goal advantage after Columbus had initially closed the gap. A notable statistic from the game is Tampa Bay’s formidable record, with the team now standing at 10-1-1 in their last 12 games.
Looking ahead, Columbus will be traveling to Florida for their next game on Thursday night, while Tampa Bay is set to host Buffalo.
