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Hedman lifts Lightning over Bruins for 11th straight at home

Thu, Jan 26, 2023
NHL News (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Victor Hedman scored the go-ahead goal with 6:31 remaining and the Tampa Bay Lightning tied a team record with their 11th straight home victory by defeating the NHL-best Boston Bruins 3-2 on Thursday night.

Brayden Point's pass for Steven Stamkos on a 2-on-1 misfired, but the puck came right to Hedman. His shot from the left circle beat Linus Ullmark after the Boston goalie was run over by teammate Brandon Carlo, breaking a 2-all tie.

The Lightning matched the franchise mark for consecutive home wins, set in 2019-20. They ended Boston's six-game winning streak and the Bruins' run of seven road victories in a row.

Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov also scored for Tampa Bay, which defeated the Bruins for the first time in three tries this season. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 37 saves.

Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha had the goals for the Bruins, who fell to 38-6-4. Ullmark stopped 32 shots.

The Lightning needed just 30 seconds to capitalize on their first power play and take a 1-0 lead. Hagel was left alone in front, took a pass from Kucherov and beat Ullmark over the blocker at 10:42.

Vasilevskiy preserved the lead late in the period by robbing Zacha and David Pastrnak less than a minute apart.

The goalies continued to excel in the second. Vasilevskiy denied Hampus Lindholm, who was alone between the hashmarks, five minutes into the period. Eight minutes later, Ullmark stopped Point on a breakaway and Stamkos on a wide-open 15-footer from the slot.

However, Marchand got the Bruins even at 1 when he beat Vasilevskiy with a low wrist shot from the left circle at 16:58.

The Lightning took a 2-1 lead 58 seconds into the third period when Stamkos won a faceoff to Kucherov, who whipped a shot past Ullmark. But the Bruins tied it at 2:24 on a goal by Zacha, who finished off a three-way passing play.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Continue a five-game trip at Florida on Saturday night.

Lightning: Complete a three-game homestand against Los Angeles on Saturday night.

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