Quick Strikes: Cooper Reaches 500 Wins, Unlikely Overtime Heroes & Stamkos Makes Power Play History

Steven Stamkos Tampa Bay Lightning
Photo Credit: Steve Nesius/AP

Fresh off of a losing road trip to begin 2024, the Tampa Bay Lightning came home on a mission to start a winning streak that would vault them back into playoff contention.

It wasn’t easy, but with one game remaining in this current four-game home stand, they have accomplished what they set out to do. They are 3-0-0 in the past three games and have vaulted into the second Wild Card spot as of January 17.

The Lightning first hosted a Los Angeles Kings team that was in a dogfight with the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division before a recent 1-9 stretch that saw them blow numerous games in the final period or overtime.

After spotting the Kings a two-goal lead in the second period, the Lightning came out on a mission in the third. They finally broke through with under eight minutes left in regulation, as Tyler Motte beat Cam Talbot to cut the lead in half. Brandon Hagel took it from there, scoring to tie the game with under five minutes remaining. He then drove the Bolts offense in overtime, finding defenseman Nick Perbix with room to maneuver. Perbix took a perfect pass and beat Talbot for his first goal this season. That victory secured head coach Jon Cooper’s 500th NHL win.

Next, the Lightning welcomed the New Jersey Devils to Amalie Arena. Going down by a goal early, they recovered to make it 3-1 midway through the middle frame. They couldn’t hold that lead, though, allowing the Devils to tie the game in the third period. Overtime produced another unlikely hero, with young blue liner Darren Raddysh scoring his third goal since the calendar flipped to 2024.

Finally, the Lightning saw a familiar face when the Anaheim Ducks came to town on January 13. Former Bolt Alex Killorn was treated to thunderous applause from the crowd after watching a tribute video of all of his accomplishments while wearing Bolts blue, shown during a first-period commercial break.

Once that was over, the Lightning got to work. A big hit by defensive call-up Emil Lilleberg pulled the team into the fight. Captain Steven Stamkos scored two goals with the man advantage, the latter tying him with Wayne Gretzky for 17th in league history at 204. Nikita Kucherov had three assists also, giving him 800 career points, in a convincing win.

Can the Lightning keep the good vibes rolling heading into the All-Star break? While unknown, they will need to keep getting contributions from everyone and finding different ways to win if they plan to stick around in the playoff hunt.

ITR 45: Everything Is Happening Inside The Rink

Join Chris and Conrad as they get you up-to-date on all the latest signings and trades heading into Free Agent Frenzy!
  1. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  2. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  3. ITR 43: It's Winning Time
  4. ITR 42: Ripe For Repeat?
  5. ITR 41: Stanley Cup Final – The Rematch


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Lauren Burg

Lauren Burg is a Tampa Bay Lightning writer for “Inside the Rink.” A lifelong Tampa Bay Area resident, she graduated from the University of South Florida’s world-renowned journalism program in December 2009. While in college, she discovered hockey and the Tampa Bay Lightning. She quickly became a passionate fan, attending many games over the years. She also experienced an All-Star game in 2018, numerous road games, and, most recently, the Bolts back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Since graduating college, she’s been working hard to combine her two loves, writing and hockey, hoping to one day make that her full-time career. In her free time, she enjoys attending sporting events (both home & road when possible), taking photos, and traveling.

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