Holmberg gets career-high 4 points, Lightning defeat slumping Jets

TAMPA -- Pontus Holmberg had an NHL career-high four points, and the Tampa Bay Lightning handed the Winnipeg Jets their seventh straight loss, 6-4 at Benchmark International Arena on Thursday.

Holmberg, who entered the game with three goals and three assists in 11 games this season, had a goal and three assists.

"Pontus had a hell of a game," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "He earned all his points tonight. I don't think that happens to him a ton, but he deserved it."

Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and two assists for the Lightning (8-3-1), who are undefeated at home this season (6-0-0). Andrei Vasilevskiy made 17 saves.

"He kind of plays exactly like us," Hagel said of Holmberg, who was on a line with him and Cirelli. "He's like a Swiss Army knife. You can almost compare him and Tony a little bit. He's always had that offensive skill. We ask him to do whatever and he's going to do it. I've always enjoyed his game."

Neal Pionk scored twice, Kyle Connor and Dylan Samberg each had a goal and an assist, and Mark Scheifele had three assists for the Jets (4-6-3), who are 0-5-2 in their past seven. Cole Perfetti had two assists.

Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 21 shots before he was replaced by Nico Daws to begin the third period. Daws made nine saves in his Jets debut.

The 25-year-old goalie was acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 23 along with forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, the rights to unsigned draft choice Alexander Command, the Devils’ own second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft and their seventh-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft in exchange for goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

"It's pretty frustrating, a three-minute span late in the second period when we gave up the three goals," Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. "You're pro hockey players, that's professionalism, you have a job to do. Competing on a PK (is a) thing that we talked about. We turned pucks over, we got beat on the rush. It's very frustrating."

Brayden Point gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 2:20 of the first period, scoring with a shot from above the left hash marks off a pass from Nikita Kucherov.

Pionk tied it 1-1 at 17:45. He collected a feed from Perfetti and beat Vasilevskiy with a slap shot from the blue line.

Conor Geekie put the Lightning ahead 2-1 at 9:43 of the second period with a chip-in from close range to finish a 2-on-1 rush with Dominic James, who provided the pass.

Cirelli extended the lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal at 15:56, beating Haydn Fleury to the blue paint to score after Gage Goncalves sent the puck to the net.

"We scored a couple of goals in the second period," Holmberg said. "It was pretty good. We were finishing today, but I think we can play a little better than this."

John Carlson pushed it to 4-1 at 18:07, scoring with a one-timer from the left face-off circle off a pass from Holmberg.

Hagel lifted a Cirelli feed from in front at 19:03 to make it 5-1. The assist was Cirelli's 200th in the NHL.

"I thought beginning of the game, the first 10 minutes, it clearly looked like a team that hadn't played in five days and had been multiple time zones away," Cooper said. "In the second period things rolled our way and guys made plays when they had to. The Cirelli line had a big matchup and they came through."

Samberg made it 5-2 at 7:00 of the third period, scoring with a one-handed tip from the low slot off a pass from Perfetti.

Pionk's second goal of the game cut the deficit to 5-3. He put home a cross-ice feed from Mercer at 8:50. The assist was Mercer's first point with Winnipeg.

"A lot of this is self-inflicted. They played well and they cashed in their chances, but a lot of those we can prevent," Pionk said. "We made a lot of mistakes and we're all guilty of it."

Winnipeg appeared to make it 5-4 at 15:38, but Jets forward Adam Lowry caused the net to be displaced from its moorings prior to the puck crossing the goal line.

Connor did bring Winnipeg to within 5-4 at 17:12 with a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Vasilevskiy on the short side.

Holmberg scored an empty-net goal at 18:29 for the 6-4 final.

"I like parts of our third and maybe parts of our whole game too," Connor said. "Maybe it's something we can build on."

NOTES: The Lightning matched the longest season-opening home winning streak in franchise history (also 2020-21 and 2017-18). ... Pionk played his 600th NHL game. ... Scheifele and Connor factored on a goal for the 303rd time and passed Dale Hawerchuk and Paul MacLean for the most goals factored on by a duo in Jets franchise history. ... Kucherov (1,139 points; 405 goals, 734 assists) was honored with a video tribute after he passed Steven Stamkos (1,137) to become the Lightning's all-time points leader in a 5-4 overtime loss at the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 24. ... Tampa Bay dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen.