Hedman scores in 6th shootout round, Lightning tip Canadiens 4-3
By Mark Didtler, The Associated Press on March 2, 2024.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Victor Hedman scored in the sixth round of the shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning stopped a four-game home losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. The Lightning won the shootout 2-1 to tie Detroit for the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Red Wings have two games at hand, “Two points is the most important thing in a game like this,” Hedman said. “You take them any way you can.” Tampa Bay got goals from Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Tyler Motte. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves in regulation to tie Tiny Thompson for 49th place in wins with 284. NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov picked up an assist and now has 105 points. The Lightning right wing lost an edge and went hard into the boards midway through the second but returned a short time later. Joel Armia, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens, who are 2-7-2 over their last 11 games. Cayden Primeau stopped 30 shots during regulation. Montreal was coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to NHL-leading Florida on Thursday night. “We’ve been very competitive for awhile, and it’s everybody,” Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. “There have been no passengers.” Montreal killed off Cole Caufield’s hooking penalty during overtime when Tampa Bay got four shots during the man advantage. Anderson put Montreal ahead 3-2 with a deflection of Caufield’s shot from the top of the right circle at 6:23 of the third before Motte’s short-handed goal pulled Tampa Bay even with 9:42 remaining in regulation. Point and Cirelli had second-period goals to tie it at 2. Less than a minute after Steven Stamkos hit the post, the Lightning captain set up Point’s goal with a pass through the slot at 7:44. Cirelli got the equalizer with 4:11 left in the period. Point has an 11-game home point streak to match Kucherov’s team season-high. The centre also has a nine-game point streak overall. After Armia opened the scoring 1:27 into the game during a 2-on-1, Evans made it 2-0 with a deflection of Brendan Gallagher’s pass with 5:26 remaining in the first. “Well, ultimately I’m pleased with the results but we can’t come out the way we did and spot an NHL team two goals and give yourself two periods come back,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “That’s not the recipe for success.” UP NEXT Canadiens: Visit the red-hot Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Lightning: Host the Calgary Flames on Thursday. — AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl 20-19
