Backcheck 01.14.25

An emotional Atlantic Division tilt on Tuesday—one which included hockey fights, a second-period rally attempt by the Tampa Bay Lightning and a barrage of Lightning shots on goal—ended with the Boston Bruins taking a 6-2 win at TD Garden with help from an early cushion on the scoreboard.

Boston led 2-0 midway through the first period and extended its lead to 4-0 with 13:55 left in the second period, when Tampa Bay showed fight in both a figurative and literal sense.

The Lightning registered 20 shots on goal in the second period and scored twice to cut the score to 4-2, but multiple Bolts said Tuesday’s start was frustrating.

“Being down four (goals) after 25 minutes is tough to get out of. Once again we put ourselves in a hole and weren’t able to climb out…We’ve just got to have better starts to games,” Captain Victor Hedman said. “The second and third were really, really good, but it’s tough to win games when you’re down 4-0.”

The Lightning played without leading goal-scorer Brayden Point, who was a healthy scratch after missing a team meeting.

Tampa Bay is now 23-16-3 on the season and returns home for a two-game homestand, beginning against the Anaheim Ducks (18-21-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Trent Frederic opened the scoring on Tuesday, finishing a 2-on-1 rush 4 minutes, 24 seconds into the game. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon’s first NHL goal made it 2-0 midway through the first period on a wrist shot from the left face-off dot.

Brad Marchand scored 73 seconds into period two, and David Pastrnak’s third point of the night came on a one-timer for the 4-0 lead 6:05 into the period.

Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg fought Frederic near center ice 90 seconds after the Pastrnak goal, which sparked the visitors.

Rookie Conor Geekie deflected home his sixth goal of the season moments later following a Hedman shot from the point, and the latter made it 4-2 with 17 seconds left in the middle frame on a shot from the left circle.

“That definitely gave life to our bench. It was a good tilt, a couple bombs thrown on both sides,” Tampa Bay’s Nick Paul said. “Got the boys on the bench standing up, got the energy going. From there when you see a guy do that, it just gives you that extra energy and you gotta make sure that fight wasn't for no reason.”

Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman finished with 43 saves—including 36 across the second and third periods—to win the game.

Boston closed the scoring with empty-net goals from Andrew Peeke and Pavel Zacha while the Lightning had a power play.

Paul called Tuesday’s start “unacceptable” for the Lightning.

Coach Jon Cooper told media postgame that slow starts plagued his team throughout the three-game road trip that ended Tuesday—Tampa Bay trailed in all three games against the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Bruins despite finishing the trip with a 1-1-1 record.

“It’s frustrating because you’re in the best league in the world and you can't just sit here and say you’re gonna play 40 minutes and expect to win games. It’s tough because you can’t guarantee the score,” Cooper said. “You can sit here and say you had the puck all night, which we did, but their goalie made all the stops he needed to make. Scoring is not guaranteed, but you have a big say in how you defend and how you show up, and it’s unfortunate that these three games on the road trip we just didn’t show up on time.”

Hedman was the lone multipoint player for Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Paul (five games) and forward Nikita Kucherov (six) extended their respective point streaks on Hedman’s goal.

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 18 saves.

Benjamin’s Three Stars:

  1. Jeremy Swayman, BOS (43 saves, win)
  2. David Pastrnak, BOS (Goal, two assists)
  3. Victor Hedman, TBL (Goal, assist)