The Tampa Bay Lightning delivered a strong performance on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 4-1 in a key NHL matchup. Brandon Hagel scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period, proving decisive for the Lightning.
Game Highlights and Key Plays
Andrei Vasilevskiy was solid in goal for Tampa Bay, making 19 saves on 20 shots. Rookie Dominic James and Jake Guentzel each contributed a goal and an assist, while Pontus Holmberg added an empty-net score late in the game.
Hagel's Winning Moment
Hagel's goal came midway through the second period, giving Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead. He received a pass at the goal line to the left of Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger and powered the puck past Stars defenseman Esa Lindell. This marked Hagel's sixth winning goal this season, tying him for second in the NHL.
Team Performance and Streaks
The Lightning bounced back from a shootout loss at St. Louis on Friday, which ended their franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak. They now have a 13-game points streak and are tied with Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 64 points.
Tampa Bay leads the league with an 18-4-4 road record and is 20-1-0 when leading after two periods. Vasilevskiy has achieved 10 consecutive 20-win seasons and holds a 17-4-3 career record against Dallas.
Stars' Struggles Continue
Oskar Back scored the lone goal for the struggling Stars, who have lost three straight games in regulation. Dallas managed only one goal in each of those losses. The team came off a 2-3-1 road trip and has lost for the fifth time in regulation in 25 games when scoring first.
Oettinger stopped 22 shots but has a 1-4-2 record in his last seven starts. Dallas is tied with Minnesota for second overall in the West with 63 points.
Scoring Summary
Back opened the scoring four minutes into the game, but James evened the score four minutes later. Two of James' four goals this season have come in the last seven games.
Upcoming Games
The Lightning will host San Jose on Tuesday, while the Stars will host Boston on the same day.
