The Backcheck: Raddysh breaks goals record as Bolts beat Bruins

On the same day the Tampa Bay Lightning clinched their spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bolts added standings points for good measure with a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins.

Defenseman Darren Raddysh made franchise history in the process, scoring the game-winning goal late in the third period to help Tampa Bay improve to 48-22-6 on the season.

Raddysh’s winning goal with 5:31 left in the game was the difference, this his 21st goal of the season. Raddysh’s 21 goals are the most in a season by any Lightning defenseman in franchise history, overtaking 20-goal campaigns posted by Victor Hedman (2021-22) and Dan Boyle (2006-07).

“He’s worked so hard and he’s had such a good season, and everyone’s so proud and happy for him that he got the record,” teammate Charle-Edouard D’Astous said of Raddysh. “It’s just starting.”

Tampa Bay clinched a spot in the playoffs earlier in the day thanks to the New York Rangers defeating the Detroit Red Wings 4-1, but the Lightning still added two standings points on Saturday night.

The Lightning have now qualified for the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons, and the team’s 1-4-2 record that opened this 2025-26 season is far behind in the rearview mirror.

“It’s just the battle in this team,” coach Jon Cooper said after clinching a playoff spot. “We’ve scored a bunch of goals, we've played great defensively. If we've had to fight, we fight, and I think we can play this game a whole lot of different ways. I’ve been proud to coach these guys and really looking forward to getting through these last six games and seeing what we can do in the playoffs.”

Saturday’s win kept Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division and required a team effort—the Lightning penalty kill and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy each did their part to not allow Boston on the scoreboard through the first 20 minutes of action.

Vasilevskiy added a crucial stop in the opening moments of the second period, denying Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson on a partial breakaway to keep the game scoreless.

Boston, however, was still the first team on the scoreboard with Casey Mittelstadt’s goal 6:47 into the second period. Mittelstadt snuck to the slot, where he accepted Viktor Arvidsson’s spinning pass from the right halfwall for an open shot inside the left goalpost for a 1-0 lead.

It was the only puck to beat Vasilevskiy in a 21-save win, which included 10 stops in a tilted second period in which the Lightning were outshot 11 to five.

Tampa Bay chipped away for the tying goal from D’Astous moments into the third period when the defenseman drove to the top of the left circle and fired a shot toward the net, which hit Oliver Bjorkstrand and bounced back to D’Astous near the left post.

The defenseman buried the second opportunity for his sixth goal of the season and the 1-1 score 2:11 into the final frame.

“I saw Bjorky shoot the puck and the rebound came to me, and I was in a good spot, so I just shot the puck and it came back to me,” D’Astous said. “I knew the goalie was a little bit in front of his crease, so I just saw an opening and put it in.”

Raddysh, Vasilevskiy seal victory

Tampa Bay possessed the puck more in the final frame of regulation thanks to work on the cycle, and Raddysh went on to give the home team its first lead late.

Defensive partner JJ Moser broke up a Bruins look at the defensive blue line, and Raddysh carried the puck the length of the ice before firing a shot from the right faceoff circle that handcuffed Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman under the elbow.

“Nothing (laughs),” Raddysh said of what he saw on the goal. “I just shot it on net. I knew (Nikita Kucherov) was in the middle, and I was just trying to throw it on net, and sometimes they go in. So fortunate for that one to go in.”

Raddysh is up to 67 points on the season, and his 21 goals are tied for third-most among all NHL defensemen. The 30-year-old blue liner was recognized for his record-breaking tally mid-game, a moment which he reflected on postgame.

“That was awesome. I love being in Tampa. I love everything about this place. It’s special to me and my family,” Raddysh said.

“Just to see the support that my family’s gotten from everyone this year, it’s been awesome, and we can’t thank the city of Tampa and the fans, all the players and the organization enough. It’s been such a fun ride. We clinched the playoffs today, and we’re excited for what’s to come.”

Kucherov earned his 125th point of the season to end the night, burying an empty-net goal in the closing minutes for the 3-1 final score. 

Seven different Bolts finished with a point in the win, one that was helped by Vasilevskiy’s effort to keep the team afloat through the second period.

“He was massive,” D’Astous said of his goalie. “He’s the reason why we won tonight and in many games this season. I think in the first half we weren’t playing our best, but he kept us in the game and it could have been more than one (goal), I think. He was outstanding once again.”

The Lightning will look to keep stacking points on their upcoming four-game road trip, which opens this Monday against the team just behind them in the standings, the Buffalo Sabres.

Only six games remain in the regular season for the Lightning, who continue to ready themselves for playoff-style hockey as the postseason nears.

“I think we're a tenacious team,” Raddysh said. “We’ve got a lot of gamers in here…We never give up. We always think we’ve got a chance to come back, and we always feel like we’ve got a fighting chance. I love the way this group is. We're a bunch of gamers, and we're looking forward to these next couple months.”

Benjamin’s Three Stars:

1. Darren Raddysh, TBL (Game-winning goal)
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (21-save win)
3. Charle-Edouard D’Astous, TBL (Goal)