TAMPA – Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored the initial goal and added an assist as Tampa Bay returned from the two-week break with a convincing 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken in Amalie Arena.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 36 of 37 shots to pace the Bolts to their fifth consecutive win.
“A huge game by Vasy tonight,” said defenseman Ryan McDonough. “I liked our compete. I like our blocked shots and our execution just keeps getting better here coming off this break.”
Hagel has been a key catalyst for the Lightning this season with his 27 goals and 37 assists. He was in on 21 shifts and spent 17:43 on the ice on Sunday evening. He has scored five goals in the last five games.
“It’s a huge two points,” said Hagel. “Obviously, each man did his job with us before the break and these wins are tough sometimes.”
The positivity that the Lightning finished with in those five consecutive wins was an excellent starting point as they upped their record to 32-20-4 with 68 points — four points off of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 72 points.
At 9:27 in the second period, Tampa Bay struck first on the penalty kill when Hagel scored with a backhand shot off of a pass from McDonough for a 1-0 lead.
“We have kinda killed together all year,” said Hagel. “He knows what I am thinking and what he’s thinking. He was trying to get it clear, but obviously, he put it right up in the middle of the ice and I just kind of read that was where he was putting it.”
McDonough and Hagel work consummately together as one of tough matchups which lead the Lightning.
“He wants to be a difference-maker for us,” said McDonough of Hagel. “He’s counted upon in a lot of situations out there – PP, PK, 5-on-5. He wants to step up and he is doing that now its a lot of fun to see and we are going to need him down the stretch.
Tampa Bay broke the game open in the third period at 11:15 when Nikita Kucherov scored his 26th goal of the season. At 12:58, Luke Glendening beat Kraken defender Ryker Evans and pushed the puck past Stezka for a 3-0 lead.
Vasilevskiy has a 2.29 GAA, fifth in the NHL, and a save percentage at .920, third among NHL goalies.
“Vasy played four of six and then the two on the back-to back, and won the last two, said Cooper, “So we needed them, especially those last two. To me, I was glad he got the rest and you could see tonight he was really dialed in.”
Nick Paul posted his 17th goal of the season when he had a late empty-netter which coincides with his 14 helpers on the season. It followed Seattle’s lone goal by Shane Wright at 15:24.
Championship Feel: Five Lightning players and coach Jon Cooper participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. Cooper coached was head coach of champions Canada. The team featured Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Brayden Point. Defenseman Victor Hedman was the captain of Team Sweden while Jake Guentzel was a member of Team USA.
“It’s pretty clear and I would include Guentzel and Hedman and the three from Canada did more than hold their own,” said Cooper. “Brayden Point didn’t start playing with Connor McDavid, but he ended up playing with Connor McDavid. Hagel and Cirelli were so instrumental on our penalty kill and so many things that happened in the tournament.”
Hagel’s insertion with McDavid created even more speed for Canada which took a 3-2 win over USA in the championship.
