Nikita Kucherov’s forehand-backhand-five-hole combo in round three of the shootout didn’t just beat Arturs Silovs—it slammed the door on Pittsburgh and officially turned Tampa Bay into the NHL’s most terrifying team right now.
How the Lightning stole two points in the Steel City
Scoreless for 50 minutes, Tampa Bay finally cracked Arturs Silovs when J.J. Moser pounced on a fat rebound with 5:47 left in regulation. The Penguins answered exactly 3:31 later—Evgeni Malkin wiring his 10th of the season top shelf on Andrei Vasilevskiy—but the Lightning never flinched in 3-on-3 overtime or the shootout.
Gage Goncalves went bar-down in round two. Egor Chinakhov countered for Pittsburgh in round three. That set the stage for Kucherov, who slowed to a crawl, opened Silovs’ five-hole, and slid the puck through to seal a 2-1 victory and an 11-game heater that matches the franchise record set in February 2020.
The numbers behind the streak
- 11-0-0 since Dec. 18—longest active run in the league.
- 3 of those wins coming after regulation (two shootouts, one OT).
- +22 goal differential (42 GF, 20 GA) during the span.
- Vasilevskiy owns a .940 save percentage in his last nine starts.
Atlantic shake-up: Lightning vault into first
With Detroit falling 3-0 in Boston, Tampa Bay leapt to 61 points—one clear of the Red Wings and two ahead of Toronto. The Bolts have three games in hand on Detroit and four on the Maple Leafs, meaning their cushion could balloon before the All-Star break.
Pittsburgh’s slide continues
The Penguins have now dropped three straight (0-2-1) since a six-game surge that had them flirting with a wild-card spot. Arturs Silovs stopped 30 shots but couldn’t outduel Vasilevskiy, and Pittsburgh’s power play finished 0-for-3, extending its drought to 1-for-19 in the last five games.
What’s next
- Lightning: visit St. Louis on Friday, the fourth contest of a five-game road swing.
- Penguins: host Philadelphia on Thursday, game two of a three-game homestand.
Bottom line
Tampa Bay isn’t just winning—it’s suffocating teams with Vasilevskiy’s timing and Kucherov’s flair for the moment. At 11 straight, the Lightning have officially entered “circle the wagons” territory. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, needs offense in a hurry before the Metro gap becomes insurmountable.
Stay locked on onlytrustedinfo.com for the fastest, most authoritative Lightning and Penguins analysis as the playoff picture crystallizes.
