The Backcheck: Bolts bounce back with shutout win over Stars

On a special night celebrating Victor Hedman’s 1,000th career game, the Tampa Bay Lightning got just what the doctor ordered and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars at AMALIE Arena.

It was an emotional pregame ceremony for Hedman, with a video tribute from his best friend and team captain Steven Stamkos, along with more congratulatory messages from former teammates Ondrej Palat, Pat Maroon, Ryan McDonagh and Alex Killorn.

With his family alongside him on the ice, Hedman received some very well-deserved recognition, along with a few gifts, before the ice was cleared and everyone’s focus shifted to the game.

Nikita Kucherov pulled his team into the fight and opened the scoring 7:47 into the first period with his 16th goal of the season. After Steven Stamkos collected the puck along the boards in the offensive zone, he sent a pass to the point for Mikhail Sergachev, who had his head up the whole way and found Kucherov open in the low slot. Within a second, Kucherov turned toward the net and ripped a quick shot into the top left corner to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead.

As time ticked away on the remainder of the period, Anthony Cirelli doubled Tampa Bay’s lead and made it a 2-0 game when he scored his fourth goal of the year with 1:39 remaining in the first. After Kucherov dropped the puck off to Erik Cernak at the Bolts blue line, the big defenseman skated down the right boards and patiently waited before putting a pass right onto the tape of Cirelli, who beat Oettinger blocker side to give the Lightning a multi-goal lead heading into the first intermission.

Neither team found the back of the net in the second period and a big part of that was Andrei Vasilevskiy, who played arguably his best game of the season Monday night in a game that the Bolts really needed to secure some points. He was sharp throughout the contest and made some huge saves in the middle frame when Tampa Bay got outshot 10-4 by Dallas.

Heading into the final frame with a 2-0 lead, the Lightning quickly pushed the score to 3-0 with Luke Glendening netting his fourth goal of the season just 3:05 into the third period.

Glendening did everything himself to put the Bolts up by three, blocking a shot attempt from Ty Dellandrea before tracking down the puck, racing down the ice and beating Oettinger with a backhand shot that went off the blocker and into the back of the net.

With 7:48 remaining in the third, Cirelli put a bow on the win when Alex Barre-Boulet and Brandon Hagel helped force a Stars turnover before Cirelli jumped on the loose puck and beat Oettinger with a backhand shot for his second goal of the night and fifth of the season.

In total, Vasilevskiy made 25 saves in his first shutout of the season and 33rd of his career, looking extremely sharp throughout the duration of the contest.

Bolts by the Numbers

- Victor Hedman skated in his 1,000th career NHL game and became the 10th active NHL defenseman to reach the milestone.

- Hedman became the third skater in Lightning history to play in 1,000 games with the club, joining Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos.

- Hedman became just the seventh Swedish-born defensemen to skate in 1,000 career games.

- Nikita Kucherov scored one goal and added an assist to push his assist/point streak to 10 games, marking his eighth career point streak of 10 or more games. The only active players with more are Connor McDavid (12), Sidney Crosby (11) and Leon Draisaitl (9).

- Kucherov’s 10-game assist streak is the longest of his career and is tied for the longest in Lightning franchise history.

- With 25 saves on 25 shots against, Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his 33rd career shutout, six of which have come against the Dallas Stars.

Bolts Quotes

- Jon Cooper on Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, the Lightning’s two active skaters to play in 1,000 career games: “You can tell the true love those guys have for each other & this city & the team. To be a part of these things, knowing that all the winning we've done in between & the ups & the downs - that's what memories are. And these are ones we'll take with us forever.”

- Victor Hedman on 1,000 games: “It’s breathtaking. It’s just super special. Something a guy from a small town in Sweden never thought was possible, but I guess they’re doing something good where I’m from. I’m proud to join the club.”

- Victor Hedman: “Time flies. Super special. I told the guys, 'I don't get emotional a lot when it comes to hockey, but that was very special.' To have Stammer do that presentation and reading my dad's letter before the game was super special.”

Krenner’s Three Stars

1. Victor Hedman

2. Andrei Vasilevskiy

3. Anthony Cirelli

Lightning Look Ahead

- Wednesday, December 6 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET, AMALIE Arena

- Thursday, December 7 at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m. ET, Bridgestone Arena

- Saturday, December 9 at Seattle Kraken, 10 p.m. ET, Climate Pledge Arena