Lightning's streak reaches 7 with well-executed road win vs. Rangers

Eduardo A. Encina, Tampa Bay Times on Nov 29, 2025

Published in Hockey

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During their rocky start to the season — a time that seems so far away now — Lightning players often talked about the faith they had in each other, the belief in their ability to pull together to salvage their season.

They have developed a synergy on the ice that special teams create, and their 4-1 win over the Rangers on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, a victory that extended their season-high win streak to seven games, might be the best example of how complete they’ve become as a team.

After their 14th win in 18 games, the Lightning are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference, sit atop the Atlantic Division and own the second-best goal differential in the league.

With four of their top seven defensemen (including Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh), as well as their top scoring center (Brayden Point) out with injury, the Lightning have thrived with a different cast of characters reliant on playing strong defense. Saturday, they played well in front of backup goaltender Jonas Johansson (12 saves).

“Nobody’s trying to play outside of what they are, and everybody’s on the same page,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re all in kind of unison right now.”

They put on an afternoon hockey clinic, holding the Rangers to just 13 shots on goal, limiting them to two in the first period. They were on top of their opponent in the defensive zone and moved the puck well to keep it in the offensive zone.

Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel scored the game’s first two goals, giving him eight in his current five-game goal streak.

“When you keep creating as much as he is, this is what happens, and now they’re coming in bunches,” Cooper said. “He’s been exceptional for us.”

The Lightning (16-7-2, 34 points) ended a stretch of nine games in 15 days with an 8-1-0 record, including a 4-0-0 mark on the road. Their eight wins in their first 12 road games are tied for the best mark in franchise history.

And over their seven-game win streak, they have outscored opponents 30-10, allowing just 1.43 goals a game.

“We’ve found our team identity and we’re building on it. We’ve found what it takes to win and we’re just buying in every single game,” Lightning center Nick Paul said.

Hagel gives Bolts early lead

The line of Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov has been the Lightning’s most productive over the win streak. Saturday was no different, as Tampa Bay outshot the Rangers 12-1 when the trio was on the ice.

“We’re kind of finding something right now,” Hagel said. “You just continue to build on it and be leaders in the dressing room. Obviously, it’s working on the scoreboard and on the scoresheet.”

Hagel set up his first goal by forcing a Rangers turnover at their blue line. Hagel fell after getting tangled with Mika Zibanejad, but kept his left foot on the blue line to avoid an offside call. He then sped to the middle of the ice, took a feed from Darren Raddysh and rifled a shot from the high slot off a Rangers skate and past Igor Shesterkin with 9:07 left in the opening period.

Kucherov, who recorded an assist on the first three Lightning goals, then sprung Hagel for a breakaway on a heady stretch pass through the neutral zone, a play that was created after Raddysh got the puck out of the Lightning zone quickly. Hagel was denied by Shesterkin on his initial backhand shot with a left pad save, but stuck with it and lifted his second chance over Shesterkin’s pad into the net for a 2-0 lead 8:57 into the second.

No slip-ups in 3rd period

Despite dominating through the first 40 minutes, the Lightning went into the third period leading by just one goal after J.T. Miller scored with 2:29 left in the second.

“It’s a one-goal game going into the third period and it could have been more,” Hagel said. “We had a lot of chances, but we never got down. We went into that third period and continued playing our game, executed, skated fast, played simple, everything we talk about.”

Momentum was building for the Rangers after they killed off a Lightning power play to open the final period, but just 19 seconds later, the Lightning flew into the offensive zone. Kucherov received the puck skating into the corner and threaded a pass to Paul positioned in front for a redirection to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead.

“One thing I’ve learned from playing with Kuch is that even if it looks like he’s not looking at you, even if it seems like there’s no hole, he’s going to find a way,” Paul said

The Lightning clamped down from there, holding the Rangers to just two shots on goal in 16:19 of even-strength time. The Lightning also overcame Gage Goncalves’ holding the stick penalty with 8:04 remaining, limiting New York to just two power-play shots on goal and killing off the penalty before Jake Guentzel’s empty-netter sealed the win in the final minute.