Winnipeg Jets stay hot, top Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2
WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 2: Gabriel Vilardi #13 of the Winnipeg Jets battles for space against Darren Raddysh #43 and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, Fla. - Nikolaj Ehlers and Morgan Barron scored in the third period, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Tuesday night to extend their point streak to nine games.
Winnipeg improved to 7-0-2 during the surge. The point streak matches a franchise record set in December 2005 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
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"Tonight wasn’t a Picasso by any stretch early in the game," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "But when we got our legs going and started to play Winnipeg Jet hockey, when we get committed to that, there’s not a team in this league we can’t beat."
Neal Pionk and Alex Iafallo also scored for the Jets (23-9-4), who won their third straight game. Vladislav Namestnikov contributed three assists.
Connor Hellebuyck, who was named the NHL’s third star for the month of December, made 33 saves to boost his record to 18-6-3 in 27 games.
"We know how to grind these games out now," Namestnikov said. "It was a close game, but we stuck with it and got the win."
WINNIPEG, CANADA - JANUARY 2: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning takes a second period face-off against Adam Lowry #17 of the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre on January 2, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozu
Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, and Steven Stamkos also scored. The Lightning (18-16-5) have lost three of their past four games.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 23 shots for Tampa Bay, which only had five healthy defensemen in the lineup.
"We trust in what we have and we’ve just got to keep believing, that’s the bottom line," said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who had 29:14 of ice time.
"Winnipeg has a great record for a reason, and a solid team, well-coached, great goaltending. But I think we stood up pretty good and I felt like we could have gotten points out of this one."
The Lightning led 1-0 after the first period, but the Jets responded with four straight goals.
Stamkos scored his 16th goal of the season on a one-timer during a power play at 6:18 of the opening period.
The Jets tied it 4:44 into the second when Brenden Dillon sent a slap pass to Pionk in front of the net, and he redirected the puck past Vasilevskiy for his third of the season.
"Honestly, we made eye contact in the corner and I said, ‘This might happen’ and I actually got a piece of it and it went in. I couldn’t believe it," Pionk said.
Iafallo made it 2-1 off a rebound at 9:13.
The Lightning had the man advantage four minutes later, but Hellebuyck turned aside a couple of close-in shots to preserve the lead.
Ehlers shot from a bended knee and beat Vasilevskiy 15:13 into the third, and Barron put one into an empty net with 2:07 remaining.
Kucherov scored on a power play with 37 seconds remaining, which extended his goal-scoring streak to four games.
Winnipeg stretched its franchise record for allowing opponents to score three or fewer goals to 26 games.
The Jets also have held their opponents to three or fewer goals in 32 games this season, which leads the league. Winnipeg is 23-7-2 In those games.