The Tampa Bay Lightning suddenly found their mojo on Monday night against the Colorado Avalanche and will look to keep the offense rolling when they host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper has been openly critical of his team’s skip and reel-to-reel planning in two games without a win (0-1-1), but he had no problem Monday when the puck found its way to Brandon Hagel.
Known for his speed and scoring, Hagel recorded a record four assists in the first half — tying the NHL record for that number in the opening frame — in his team’s 8-2 victory over the Avalanche.
He then added a fifth assist on one of the second goals, Brayden Point’s snipe for his team-leading seventh on the power play.
The five assists in the game matched the franchise mark held by Mark Recchi, Martin St. Louis and his partner Darren Raddysh.
And the best compliment of all?
“I think (Nikita Kucherov) asked if I was Bobby Orr after the first half, and I’m far from it. But I’ll take that,” Hagel said after the Atlantic Division team matched the season’s scoring record. .
All in all, it was an impressive showing for Tampa Bay, which has gone 4-1-1 in its last six games but recently stumbled.
Nick Perbix, Jake Guentzel and Kucherov all scored in the first 10:03, chasing starting goaltender Justus Annunen as the Colorado crease transitioned toward the net. Alexander Georgiev allowed three more before the coaching staff decided they needed to rest him. Then Annunen came back and gave the third period goals to Guentzel and Michael Eyssimot.
The Lightning were without Nick Paul for the third straight game. Cooper said this morning that the club will be without an effective striker for the rest of the week.
Down in South Florida, the Washington Capitals showed that they can actually win without one of the best scorers in the game, Alex Ovechkin (broken leg).
Goaltender Logan Thompson was outstanding in net with 20 saves to improve to 9-1-1, while Lars Eller scored twice and Jakob Chychrun had a goal and two assists as Washington handed the Florida Panthers their sixth straight loss. seven, 4-1 in the last. Sunrise.
Washington ruled it all night, as it kept the defending Stanley Cup champions in check by being one step ahead and relentless on the puck, constantly pressuring Florida goaltender Spencer Knight.
That finally paid off with Boca Raton native Chychrun’s third-period game-winner just 30 minutes north of the Panthers’ home court that impressed Washington coach Spencer Carbery.
“I thought the third period was our best period, I started with a strong performance to take the lead there,” said Carbery. “We shut it down and carried most of the game in the third.
“I was very proud of that third period. It must be what we look like.”
The win was the first in three tries without Ovechkin on the Washington roster. Wednesday marks the Caps’ second of six road contests in an eight-game stretch.
–Field Level Media
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