Tampa Bay earned a 3-0 lead at AMALIE Arena to take down the NHL’s best team through the first month of the season on Thursday, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4-1.
Jake Guentzel scored the game’s lone goal in the first period, and the home team built on the lead thanks to tallies by Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli.
Cirelli’s goal was the 100th of his NHL career.
Winnipeg made it 3-1 6:54 into the second, but the Lightning left with the victory to improve to 8-6-1 this season thanks to an empty-net goal by Guentzel.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
TBL 1, WPG 0
7:24 Jake Guentzel (6) - Nick Paul
Forward Jake Guentzel got things started for Tampa Bay when he sent a wrist shot under the blocker of Winnipeg goalie Eric Comrie from the high slot following a between-the-legs drop pass from Nick Paul.
Shots on goal: TBL 10, WPG 7
2nd Period
TBL 2, WPG 0
3:10 Brandon Hagel (8) - Darren Raddysh, Emil Lilleberg
Brandon Hagel extended the Lightning lead in the opening minutes of the second period, shooting the puck into the top right corner off a cross-ice pass from defenseman Darren Raddysh.
TBL 3, WPG 0
4:07 Anthony Cirelli (3) - Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov - PP
Anthony Cirelli earned his 100th goal in a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey by deflecting a point shot from Victor Hedman on Tampa Bay’s first power-play opportunity of the game.
TBL 3, WPG 1
6:54 Adam Lowry (3) - Colin Miller, Haydn Fleury
Winnipeg’s captain got his team on the scoreboard with a deflection after a blueline shot by Colin Miller.
Shots on goal: TBL 13, WPG 6
3rd Period
TBL 4, WPG 1
19:39 Guentzel (7)
Guentzel scored his second of the night into the empty net to close the game.
Total shots: TBL 29, WPG 25
