“I honestly don't really remember too much,” James said of the play that led to his goal. "I remember seeing the puck go in, I remember seeing it bounce over (Gage Goncalves') stick and that eventually led to it coming to me, so kind of happy it bounced over Gonzo’s stick (laughs), but that’s kind of what I remember and I remember dropping to a knee and cellying. So, kind of a blur.”
James’ first career multi-point night ended a three-game road trip for Tampa Bay, a team that now holds a 7-5-2 record on the season and has won six of its last seven games leading into Saturday’s return home to Benchmark International Arena to face the Washington Capitals.
Vegas’ Ivan Barbashev was the first player to score on Thursday, potting a rebound near the right goalpost 7:25 into the game following a point shot. Barbashev’s second goal of the period came on a slot chance with about four minutes left to double the home team’s lead. Barbashev one-timed his shot between the hashmarks following a pass from Mitch Marner to make it 2-0.
Despite being outshot 15-3 through 20 minutes of hockey, James and the Lightning had a response in period two and needed less than 40 seconds to begin the comeback.
James found a loose puck behind the goal line in the Vegas end on the opening shift, fed the puck to Goncalves in the slot for a shot which beat Vegas goalie Carl Lindblom into the top corner of the net 36 seconds into the middle frame.
The assist on Goncalves’ first goal of the year gave James his first career NHL point, but the rookie wasn’t done contributing there.
After an Oliver Bjorkstrand rush, the puck squirted into the crease, where James buried his first career goal to tie the game 2-2 only 3:28 into the middle frame. The Lightning had the better second period, outshooting the hosts 15-4.
Lightning assistant coach Rob Zettler called Thursday’s response “gutsy”.
“I thought it was excellent,” he said of the second period. “That whole second period we pretty much played in their end…I just thought that first period we seemed to be standing around watching a lot, and then we just let them know, ‘You’ve got to get moving, need a little bit more urgency in our game.’
And they did that. They responded, and I thought it was a really gutsy effort against a very good Vegas team.”
Nikita Kucherov’s sixth goal of the year came just after a Lightning power play ended to give the visitors their first lead of the game, 3-2, 2:48 into the third period. Kucherov sent his one-timer shot past Lindbom at the right goalpost.
Vegas had a quick response when Marner’s shot bounced off a Lightning defender to tie the game at three, but the Lightning didn’t flinch and scored the game’s final three goals for the win. Their effort was helped by a four-minute effort to kill a double minor penalty while ahead 4-3.
James started the game-winning play by passing toward the Golden Knights net, where Hagel won a puck battle and deposited his fifth goal in his last six games. The 4-3 tally was just 35 seconds after Marner’s tying goal.
Kucherov’s second goal of the night came on a power play to cushion the Lightning lead with 5:47 remaining, and Hagel ended the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Kucherov and Hagel co-led all players in the game with three points alongside James and Vegas’ Barbashev. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 29 saves on 32 shots to earn his fourth win of the season.
