Hockey fans, get ready for a thrilling recap! On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the Tampa Bay Lightning edged out the Pittsburgh Penguins with a final score of 2-1. This victory extended the Lightning's winning streak to an impressive 11 games!
Key Moments and Players:
- Nikita Kucherov clinched the win for Tampa Bay, scoring the decisive goal in the shootout.
- J.J. Moser scored a goal during regulation play.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning's goalie, was a wall, making 26 saves. This winning streak started after a home defeat against Los Angeles on December 18th. Notably, three of their wins during this streak were secured after regulation play, showing their resilience.
- The Lightning's win propelled them to the top of the Atlantic Division, surpassing the Detroit Red Wings by a single point.
- Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins.
- Arturs Silovs, Pittsburgh's goalie, made 30 saves. The Penguins are now on a three-game losing streak (0-2-1), following a six-game winning streak.
Shootout Drama:
- Gage Goncalves scored for Tampa Bay in the second round of the shootout.
- Egor Chinakov tied it for Pittsburgh in the third round.
- Kucherov then sealed the deal for the Lightning.
Regulation Highlights:
- Moser gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead with just 5:47 left in the third period. Yanni Gourde's shot was initially saved by Silovs, but the rebound landed perfectly for Moser to capitalize.
- Malkin equalized the score with 2:16 remaining, firing the puck past Vasilevskiy for his 10th goal of the season.
The game remained scoreless for the first two periods. The Lightning outshot the Penguins 10-8 in the first period, during which the Penguins had two power plays. Both teams had 9 shots on goal in the second period, with the Lightning getting two power plays and the Penguins one.
What's Next?
- The Lightning will play at St. Louis on Friday night, continuing their five-game homestand.
- The Penguins will host Philadelphia on Thursday night, in the second game of their three-game homestand.
But here's where it gets controversial... Do you think the shootout format is a fair way to decide a hockey game? Does it diminish the importance of the regular game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! What was your favorite moment of the game?
