A Tenacious 7 Points

Tampa Bay Lightning Fan Newsletter || Week Twenty-Four Recap || 2025-26 NHL Season

Mar 23, 2026

Bolts Breakdown:

Welcome to Bolts Breakdown! If you’re new, here’s what you can expect: game reviews, all the stats, leaders & milestones, injuries & roster updates, random findings & trends, etc…all in an easy-to-digest format. This is your one-stop-shop for everything Lightning hockey! Glad to have you, hope you enjoy.

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The Lightning played four Western Conference matches this week. They won the first 3 games & lost the final game in overtime (3-0-1). Earning 7 of 8 possible points is a major success, and it came at the perfect time for the Bolts, who previously had lost 7 of the last 10 games.

As the NHL returned from the Olympic break, the Lightning were 13 points ahead of the 9th team in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning entered this week only 5 points ahead of the 9th team. It doesn’t take a wizard to see the gap was closing.

Safe to say, the Lightning needed these points.

“We came on a nine-day road trip, four games, and we took seven of eight points…There’s a lot of good to take out of this, especially with the way the Eastern Conference is going…I’m proud of the guys on this trip. We needed it."
- Jon Cooper

For the Lightning, there was never panic. Head Coach Jon Cooper spoke plainly to the media last week, communicating nothing but confidence in his team. To me, there are plenty of reasons to believe in the Lightning, but today I’ll share one reason why Jon Cooper’s faith in his team never wavers, and why your faith shouldn’t either.

One of the things Cooper has highlighted all year is the Lightning’s resilience & fight, their mental fortitude & ability to win even amidst adversity.

Cooper tells his team, “You don’t have to fight; you just have to be willing to. And, you have to let everyone in the building know that you are.”

For Cooper, it’s about building a mindset of toughness, it’s about building a determination to battle & a willingness to carry on even on the hardest shifts against hardest teams.

This year, the Lightning have shown they’ve bought into that mindset; it’s become their identity.

The Lightning lead the NHL in fights this year (40), and they are the most penalized team in the league (344 penalties). They have the most major penalties (41), 2nd most misconduct penalties (16), & most game misconducts (5). These aren’t instances of sloppy stick infractions or out of position last-ditch desperation plays; these penalties are the Lightning showing they’re ready for whatever comes, that they’re a unified team who will not be pushed around.

When the Lightning are at their best, they’re forechecking hard & creating chaos with their effort, which often leads to post-whistle scrums & all-out brawls. And the Lightning never back down.

All of this is part of that mental toughness Cooper has instilled in his group.

It’s that grit, that toughness, that resilience that allows Jon Cooper to confidently declare, in the midst of a 10 game slump, that nothing will hold this team back. And he’s right to be confident, because when the Lightning are playing their physical, gritty style, they’re dominant. Exhibit A, this Western Conference roadtrip.

Yanni Gourde, Anthony Cirelli, & Pontus Holmberg all received 5-minute major penalties for fighting during the 4-game trip, and the Lightning played much faster & much harder on the forecheck than in their previous slump. It’s a proven recipe for success for this Lightning team, and they’ve shown they’re committed to playing that way.

With 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Lightning still have work to do, but, no matter what comes, the Lightning’s grit & tenacity ought to bring comfort they’re never truly out of the fight.

Let’s review this past week & prepare for the one ahead!

SKIP TO GAME RECAPS

Team Statistics:

This Past Week:

Power Play: 25.0% (t-7th)
Penalty Kill: 100% (t-1st)
FOW%: 51.4% (12th)
SF/GP: 30.0 (13th)
SA/GP: 23.8 (7th)
GF/GP: 5.00 (1st)
GA/GP: 2.50 (t-9th)
Hits/60: 14.97 (29th)
Blocked Shots/60: 9.48 (30th)

Season Rankings:

Power Play: 22.0% (13th)
Penalty Kill: 82.3% (5th)
FOW%: 47.5% (26th)
SF/GP: 28.2 (15th)
SA/GP: 27.0 (9th)
GF/GP: 3.58 (2nd)
GA/GP: 2.75 (3rd)
Hits/60: 19.71 (16th)
Blocked Shots/60: 12.25 (28th)

Player Statistics:

This Week:

Goals:

Nikita Kucherov (6)
Anthony Cirelli (4)
Guentzel, Raddysh, Hagel (2)

Assists:

Nikita Kucherov (7)
Brandon Hagel (6)
Anthony Cirelli (4)

Points:

Nikita Kucherov (13)
Anthony Cirelli (8)
Brandon Hagel (8)

Shots:

Nikita Kucherov (20)
Darren Raddysh (20)
Anthony Cirelli (13)

Plus/Minus:

Nikita Kucherov (+11)
Brandon Hagel (+8)
Ryan McDonagh (+7)

Hits:

Zemgus Girgensons (11)
Nick Paul (7)
Bjorkstrand, Cernak, D’Astous, Goncalves (6)

Blocked Shots:

Shot Attempts:

Nikita Kucherov (38)
Darren Raddysh (32)
Jake Guentzel (21)

Faceoff Wins:

Anthony Cirelli (27)
Yanni Gourde (23)
Nick Paul (18)

Season Leaders:

Goals:

Nikita Kucherov (40)
Brandon Hagel (32)
Jake Guentzel (31)

Assists:

Nikita Kucherov (79)
Darren Raddysh (42)
Jake Guentzel (41)

Points:

Nikita Kucherov (119)
Jake Guentzel (72)
Brandon Hagel (67)

Shots:

Nikita Kucherov (201)
Brandon Hagel (185)
Jake Guentzel (182)

Plus/Minus:

JJ Moser (+45)
Nikita Kucherov (+43)
Brandon Hagel (+33)

Hits:

Zemgus Girgensons (172)
Yanni Gourde (92)
Erik Cernak (90)

Blocked Shots:

JJ Moser (82)
Erik Cernak (80)
Charle-Edouard D’Astous (63)

Shot Attempts:

Nikita Kucherov (465)
Brandon Hagel (395)
Darren Raddysh (379)

Faceoff Wins:

Anthony Cirelli (443)
Yanni Gourde (346)
Brayden Point (254)

Random Findings:

Nikita Kucherov scored his 7th career hat trick on Tuesday, which is the 3rd most in Tampa Bay Lightning history.

Nikita Kucherov also recorded his 9th 5-point game on Tuesday, which is tied for 3rd most amongst non North American skaters; only Jari Kurri (16) & Peter Stastny (12) have more. Compared to all NHL players, regardless of nationality, Kucherov is ranked 21st in 5-point nights, 3rd among active players.

Nikita Kucherov is the 5th player in NHL history to record 3+ points in 3 consecutive road games at least 3 different times in his career — Gretzky (13), Jagr (4), Lemieux (4) & LaFontaine (3).

Nikita Kucherov is the 3rd player in NHL history to score 3+ points in 5 consecutive road games (Gretzky 5-game streak in 85-86, Lemieux 5-game streak in 87-88, & Lemieux 6-game streak in 92-93). .

Nikita Kucherov tied his own franchise record on Tuesday earning his 8th 4-point game of the season. On Saturday, he beat his record, recording his 9th 4-point game of the season, which is the most in a single season in Lightning history.

Nikita Kucherov is the 7th player in NHL history to record 4 straight 110-point seasons.

Nikita Kucherov has 96 points in his last 45 games (since November 20th, 2025). That is the most points by any NHL player over a 45-game span since Mario Lemieux in ‘95/96 (112 points).

Jake Guentzel is the 1st Lightning player in history to record back-to-back 70-point seasons in his first 2 seasons with the team.

Jake Guentzel earned his 150th point with the Bolts on Tuesday, reaching the mark in record-setting speed, 146 games. Guentzel is the fastest player in Tampa Bay Lightning history to record 150 points.

Jake Guentzel reached 30 goals on the season on Thursday. He is the 1st Lightning player in history to record back-to-back 30-goal seasons to begin his tenure with the Bolts.

Brandon Hagel scored his 300th point with the Bolts on Thursday. He is the 3rd fastest Lightning player to reach the mark (329 GP), only Steven Stamkos (302 GP) & Brian Bradley (328 GP) did it faster.

The Lightning scored 6+ goals in 3 consecutive road games (BUF, SEA, VAN) for the 2nd time in Lightning history (per ECloskyWTSP).

Standings:

The Lightning currently sit 4 points behind the Buffalo Sabres for 1st place in the Atlantic Division (with 2 games in hand). Currently, the Sabres would win the tie-breaker over the Bolts (tiebreaker is regulation wins: BUF 37 TBL 34).

Games 1-10: 10 points (2 points under playoff pace).

Games 11-20: 14 points (above pace for this 10-game segment—back to playoff pace overall).

Games 21-30: 12 points (maintaining playoff pace).

Games 31-40: 15 points (3 points ahead of pace).

Games 41-50: 17 points (added 5 points ahead of playoff pace — 8 total points ahead of pace).

Games 51-60: 12 points (reached playoff pace for this segment—still 8 points total ahead of pace).

Games 61-69: 11 points (the Bolts have already reached playoff pace for this segment, thanks to the extra points they’ve banked along the way. Now, the Bolts are 7 points ahead of pace. They need only 5 points in their next 11 games to reach playoff pace).

The Week Ahead:

Tuesday (24th): Tampa Bay Lightning vs Minnesota Wild — 7:30pm
Thursday (26th): Tampa Bay Lightning vs Seattle Kraken — 7:00pm
Saturday (28th): Tampa Bay Lightning vs Ottawa Senators — 1:00pm
Sunday (29th): Tampa Bay Lightning at Nashville Predators — 5:00pm

Milestones:

This Past Week:

Brandon Hagel earned his 300th point with the Lightning.

Nick Paul turned 31 years old on Friday.

Yanni Gourde played in his 400th game with the Lightning on Sunday.

This Upcoming Week:

Zemgus Girgensons can score his 100th career goal this week; he currently sits at 99.

Jake Guentzel can score his 300th career goal this week; he currently sits at 299.

Nikita Kucherov can score his 400th career goal this week; he currently sits at 397.

Anthony Cirelli can earn his 200th career assist this week; he currently sits at 197.

Nick Paul will play in his 300th game with the Bolts on Thursday.

Injury/Roster Updates:

Thankfully, the injury bug seemed to leave the Lightning alone this week. There were a few brief scares, but overall, this week was one of the Lightning’s healthier weeks of the season. Let’s first address the scares:

Victor Hedman left Thursday’s game against the Canucks & did not return; on top of that, he missed both games this weekend. The good news is he is considered day-to-day; the word on the street is he is sick.

Brandon Hagel & Anthony Cirelli both temporarily left Saturday’s game with apparent injuries. Thankfully, both players returned to finish the game, and both players were in the lineup on Sunday. It appears the Lightning dodged this bullet.

Additionally, Emil Lilleberg returned from injury for the weekend back-to-back. He currently is wearing a full face shield as his face continues to heal from the fracture.

Here is where the injury list stands as of now:

Declan Carlile (3-4 weeks)
Dominic James (6-8 weeks)
Max Crozier (6 weeks)
Victor Hedman (day-to-day illness)

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Game Recaps:

Game 66 — (TB Lightning at SEA Kraken):

The Lightning began this game with their foot on the gas & their leash on the Kraken. In the first period, aided by their intense forecheck, the Lightning dominated, holding the Kraken without a shot on net for over 10 minutes to start the game. Additionally the Lightning out-attempted the Kraken (23-8), outshot the Kraken (9-4), & held a near 3 minute advantage of sustained offensive zone time (3:47-0:56). After 20 minutes, the Lightning led 2-0 (Gage Goncalves & Nikita Kucherov).

The first minute of the 2nd stanza was more Lightning superiority…Nikita Kucherov added his 2nd goal of the game while the Lightning caught the Kraken changing lines. 3-0 Bolts.

10 seconds later, though, Anthony Cirelli lost control of the puck & Seattle’s Bobby McMann shot it past Vasilevskiy; 3-1. McMann’s goal gave momentum to Seattle, and they utilized it to their advantage. For much of the next 19 minutes, the Kraken were in total control. The Lightning, feeling the pressure, committed two penalties which supplied Seattle’s efforts with more ammunition. The middle frame ended with the Kraken charging back, trailing only by 1, thanks to a goal immediately following a power play; 3-2.

All the momentum resided with the home team.

The Lightning’s early dominance in this game was a result of an aggressive forecheck. In the 2nd, the Lightning’s energy & effort dipped, and the forecheck disappeared, paving way for the Kraken to accomplish their 2nd period success. Thankfully, when the 3rd period began, the Lightning restored their efforts. Perhaps it was inspired by a Yanni Gourde fight (41 seconds into the 3rd) or maybe something said during intermission…whatever the case, the Lightning mimicked their opening period’s effort, and, again, took control of the game.

Anthony Cirelli scored 4 minutes into the 3rd period to restore the 2 goal lead; then, the Bolts shut it down. In the final 15 minutes of game, the Lightning held 73% of the shot attempts & 72% of the high-danger chances. Late in the period, Brandon Hagel scored the Bolts’ 5th goal to ice the cake, then Nikita Kucherov boxed it up & sent Seattle home with his hat trick empty net goal.

Final score: 6-2 Lightning.

Power Play:

Game: 1/3 (0%)
Season: 45/204 (22.1%)

Penalty Kill:

Game: 3/3 (100%)
Season: 172/210 (81.9%)

Faceoffs:

Game: 25/46 (54.3%)

Anthony Cirelli took the most faceoffs on the team (17): 9-8—53%.
Brayden Point took the 2nd most faceoffs on the team (9): 3-6—33%.

Shots On Net:

Team total: 25 shots on net.

Nikita Kucherov (7)
Darren Raddysh (5)
D’Astous, Girgensons, Hagel, Cirelli, Goncalves (2)

Hits:

Team total: 21 hits.

Gage Goncalves (5)
Charle-Edouard D’Astous (4)
Zemgus Girgensons (3)

Blocked Shots:

Team total: 7 blocked shots.

Brandon Hagel (2)
Point & Bjorkstrand (1)
Raddysh, D’Astous, & Hedman (1)

Shot Attempts:

Team total: 64 shot attempts.

Nikita Kucherov (13)
Darren Raddysh (8)
Victor Hedman (6)

Time On Ice:

Darren Raddysh (22:10 TOI)
Ryan McDonagh (21:17 TOI)
Nikita Kucherov (19:49 TOI)

Bolts Breakdown’s Three Stars:

1st Star—Nikita Kucherov (3 goals, 2 assists)
2nd Star—Brandon Hagel (1 goal, 3 assists)
3rd Star—Gage Goncalves (1 goal, 1 assist, 5 hits)

Highlights:

Gage Goncalves (1-0):

Nikita Kucherov (2-0):

Nikita Kucherov (3-0):

Anthony Cirelli (4-2):

Brandon Hagel (5-2):

Game 67 — (TB Lightning at VAN Canucks):

The Lightning made enough mistakes in their game against the Vancouver Canucks to walk away without points. Thankfully, a terrific performance by Andrei Vasilevskiy and a subpar performance from the Canucks allowed the Bolts to right their wrongs and earn a crucial two points in the standings.

In the first ten minutes of the game, the Lightning reverted to a similar style of hockey that saw them lose 70% of their games after the Olympic break. They were loose defensively, sloppy in execution, and slow in their reads. Passes were into the skates of the Vancouver players & the forecheck was still getting dressed in the locker room. The Lightning surrendered a few rush chances for the Canucks, but Vasilevskiy held them off the scoreboard. In previous games, performances like this resulted in massive deficits which then significantly altered the dynamic of the rest of the game. The Lightning were fortunate to avoid another such scenario against the Canucks.

As the game went on, the Lightning improved. As their forecheck returned, so did their execution & intellect. Late in the 1st period, Jake Guentzel finally broke the scoreless tie. This momentum carried into the 2nd period: Raddysh, Gourde, & Kucherov scored in the first five-and-a-half minutes to create a 4-0 advantage for the Lightning.

With a 4-goal lead in hand, the Lightning continued improving, and they maintained that trajectory throughout the rest of the game. They had momentary blips of sloppiness, which cost them 2 goals, but at the end of the day, there was no doubt who was in control.

The Lightning held 55% of the shot attempts, 64% of the scoring chances, and 69% of the expected goals. MoneyPuck.com gave the Lightning the victory 67% of the time.

While the opening minutes gave plenty of room for doubt, the Lightning ultimately prevailed over their slow start with another brilliant offensive showing. Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Nikita Kucherov drove play for most of the night, overwhelming the Canucks to secure the victory.

Final score: 6-2

Power Play:

Game: 0/1 (0%)
Season: 45/205 (22.0%)

Penalty Kill:

Game: 2/2 (100%)
Season: 174/212 (82.1%)

Faceoffs:

Game: 30/55 (52.6%)

Anthony Cirelli took the most faceoffs on the team (17): 10-7—59%.
Nick Paul took the 2nd most (15): 8-7—53%.

Shots On Net:

Team total: 31 shots on net.

Darren Raddysh (7)
Brandon Hagel (4)
Guentzel & Kucherov (3)

Hits:

Team total: 12 hits.

Zemgus Girgensons (4)
Oliver Bjorkstrand (3)
Nick Paul (2)

Blocked Shots:

Team total: 14 blocked shots.

Zemgus Girgensons (2)
Ryan McDonagh (2)
D’Astous & Moser (2)

Shot Attempts:

Team total: 56 shot attempts.

Darren Raddysh (10)
Nikita Kucherov (7)
Brandon Hagel (6)

Time On Ice:

Darren Raddysh (24:50 TOI)
Ryan McDonagh (23:27 TOI)
JJ Moser (22:55 TOI)

Bolts Breakdown’s Three Stars:

1st Star—Nikita Kucherov (1G, 2A, +4)
2nd Star—Anthony Cirelli (1G, 2A, +3)
3rd Star—Brandon Hagel (1G, 1A, +4)

Highlights:

Jake Guentzel (1-0):

Darren Raddysh (2-0):

Yanni Gourde (3-0):

Nikita Kucherov (4-0):

Anthony Cirelli (5-2):

Brandon Hagel (6-2):

Game 68 — (TB Lightning at EDM Oilers):

The Lightning played a terrific game against a terrific opponent, the Edmonton Oilers. This game boasted speed & talent beyond the usual mid-March hockey matchup. At one end of the ice Connor McDavid was dazzling his way into the Lightning’s zone & at the other end Nikita Kucherov was spinning Edmonton’s defenders off the ice. Andrei Vasilevskiy made extraordinary saves to account for Lightning’s defensive lapses as well as Edmonton’s talent.

The first period was an even fight, ending with an Oilers’ sucker punch: Connor McDavid tipped a blueline shot past Vasilevskiy immediately following an unforced icing by the Lightning. Following that huge momentum builder for Edmonton, the Lightning responded exactly as you would hope…Anthony Cirelli evened the score 1:37 into the 2nd. Then, 10 minutes later, Jake Guentzel secured the lead with a power play goal.

Everything shifted in the next 5 minutes of gameplay. The Oilers had a chance to regain the momentum and tie the game during their 5-on-3 opportunity; however, it was the Lightning who capitalized. Connor McDavid flew into the Lightning zone on the attack and Emil Lilleberg stepped up to deliver a massive check; right at that moment, Nikita Kucherov’s penalty ended. He stepped out of the box, received a 100 foot lobbed pass from JJ Moser, and skated alone towards Connor Ingram. Kucherov buried his first short handed goal, delivering a back-breaking blow to the Oilers.

The Lightning allowed their play to slide off the rails periodically in the remaining 23 minutes, but Andrei Vasilevskiy was brilliant & Edmonton had no answer. The only goal Edmonton was able to score was an own goal at the hands of Oliver Bjorkstrand & Emil Lilleberg. Other than that, the Bolts remained in control, even in the midst of intense pressure from Connor McDavid & the Oilers.

Final score: 5-2 Lightning.

Power Play:

Game: 1/3 (33%)
Season: 46/208 (22.1%)

Penalty Kill:

Game: 3/3 (100%)
Season: 177/215 (82.3%)

Faceoffs:

Game: 26/49 (53.1%)

Yanni Gourde took the most faceoffs on the team (11): 7-4—64%.
Brayden Point took the 2nd most (10): 5-5—50%.

Shots On Net:

Team total: 28 shots on net.

Nikita Kucherov (7)
Anthony Cirelli (5)
Bjorkstrand & Raddysh (3)

Hits:

Team total: 11 hits.

Erik Cernak (3)
Nick Paul (2)
Zemgus Girgensons (2)

Blocked Shots:

Team total: 13 blocked shots.

Zemgus Girgensons (3)
Gage Goncalves (2)
Ryan McDonagh (2)

Shot Attempts:

Team total: 62 shot attempts.

Nikita Kucherov (11)
Jake Guentzel (8)
Cirelli & Raddysh (6)

Time On Ice:

Darren Raddysh (26:00 TOI)
JJ Moser (22:42 TOI)
Ryan McDonagh (22:01 TOI)

Bolts Breakdown’s Three Stars:

1st Star—Nikita Kucherov (2G, 2A, 7 shots)
2nd Star—Anthony Cirelli (2G, 5 shots)
3rd Star—Andrei Vasilevskiy (26 saves, .963 SV%)

Highlights:

Anthony Cirelli (1-1):

Jake Guentzel (2-1):

Nikita Kucherov (3-1):

Nikita Kucherov (4-2):

Game 69 — (TB Lightning at CGY Flames):

The Lightning left their best at home in this game against the Flames. In the opening minutes, neither team generated much offense. But, the Lightning did show flashes of speed & hustle, almost leading one to believe they could beat Calgary with ease.

Ryan McDonagh scored for the Lightning 7:25 into the 1st period and it felt like the game was going to get out of hand.

As it happens in hockey, the Lightning completely fell apart at the seams. Passes started to miss the mark, forechecks became easier to avoid, & defensive-zone positioning moved to the optional category. Combine all those lapses in judgement and you get a Calgary team rolling through a wide open door.

Calgary scored 2 goals at 16:25 & 16:52 in the 1st to rip the lead from the Lightning’s grasp.

Stunned, the Lightning failed to muster much better in the 2nd period. Again, passes were off the mark, zone exits were sloppy, and the neutral zone was renamed turnover city. Calgary added their 3rd goal of the game at 8:28.

Darren Raddysh helped bring the game back within reach at 11:47 with his famous one-timer bomb, which, you would think, would help the Lightning return to form, but it did not. The Lightning continued meandering and the Flames continued pressing.

For as sloppy as the Lightning were playing, they did generate some great chances to score. Calgary’s goaltender was marvelous in net, adding to the Lightning’s frustration. Jonas Johansson was spectacular for the Lightning as well, holding Calgary off the board for the rest of regulation. Eventually, the Hounds line (Holmberg, Gourde, Girgensons) finally scored the tying goal (15:40 in the 3rd).

Unfortunately, Calgary only needed 26 seconds in overtime to secure the 2nd point. The Lightning lost the opening draw & never touched the puck.

Final score: 3-4 OT Flames.