When the Tampa Bay Lightning needed it most on Thursday, their captain stepped up.
Victor Hedman’s first goal of the year came 2:07 into overtime and lifted the Lightning to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken at Benchmark International Arena.
Hedman carried the puck through the neutral zone with speed, split the Kraken trio and buried a backhand shot through the legpads of Kraken goalie Phillip Grubauer.
“It's been a while since I played 3-on-3 in a game like this. I just kind of surveyed what was open, and I felt like their other two guys were kind of wide,” Hedman said of the goal. “I felt like if I could get a step on the top guy that I had a chance, so it was just trusting my instincts and trusting my legs.”
The overtime goal kept Tampa Bay unbeaten on home ice (4-0-0) this season and improved their record to 5-2-0.
The Kraken took advantage of a Lightning turnover near the goal line, with Ryan Winterton tapping home an open look at the left post for a 1-0 lead just 5 minutes, 43 seconds into the game.
After numerous Lightning looks, Brandon Hagel’s team-leading fifth goal of the year evened the score with 3:07 left in the opening stanza.
Brayden Point gained the offensive zone and drew a pair of Kraken players before passing to a bursting Hagel in the right circle. Hagel’s initial shot was stopped, but he flipped the rebound into the top right corner of the net for the 1-1 score.
Hagel kept the offense flowing in the opening minutes of the second period with his second goal of the night and the lone score of the frame, this time roofing a shot from the left circle for the 2-1 lead.
“There’s a Great One that has a good quote out there,” Hagel said with a smile. “If I get an opportunity to shoot, I shoot. Sometimes I don't still (laughs), but the more shots you take the better chance you’ve got to score. Scoring is the best thing in this game. It's my favorite thing to do, and when you have a chance to shoot it, it has a chance to go in.”
Hagel now has six goals this season, tied for fifth among all NHL players, and his teammates aren’t surprised by his impressive start.
"He's one of the guys that keep dragging us into the fight every single night and making some great plays,” Hedman said of Hagel. “Obviously he scored another two goals and has five in his last three games. He's just a dog on a bone. You see it at the start of overtime. They have the puck, but he's forechecking and getting the puck, and we get possession and are able to get a couple changes, and then we score. So he sets it all up for the next line to have success."
Despite the Lightning penalty kill starting Thursday a perfect 2-for-2 and restricting dangerous scoring chances for the Kraken, the visitors’ power play tied the score when Jared McCann potted a centering pass from Jordan Eberle 2:54 into the final frame.
An Ilya Mikheyev goal regained the lead for the Lightning midway through the third, this time as he pressured a Kraken defenseman looking to turn around his own net. Mikheyev forced the turnover and tapped the puck in with 10:02 left to play.
Matty Beniers forced overtime on a redirection in the closing minutes of regulation, but the Lightning still liked their game for much of the evening.
“I liked a lot of our game tonight. I think there were some holes in our game,” Cooper said. “I thought Vasy was great tonight, but it was just some circumstances…It was unfortunate, but I just didn't like the way it came about, and it’s unfortunate that Jamesy fans on a puck, interference penalty, and then another faceoff and it's in our net. Probably something we've got to really bear down on is our faceoffs, and I thought it cost us twice tonight.”
The Lightning next face the Vancouver Canucks in a 4 p.m. game at Benchmark International Arena this Saturday.
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
- Victor Hedman, TBL (OT GWG)
- Brandon Hagel, TBL (2 goals)
- Matty Beniers, SEA (Goal)
