Tampa Bay Lightning Dominate Penguins at Home | 03/25/2025

Tampa Bay Lightning players celebrating a goal 2025
Photo via NHL.com

TAMPA BAY, Fla. — After experiencing a tough break last week from losing two straight games on the West Coast (Tampa Bay Times, 2025), the Tampa Bay Lightning bounced back with a much-needed win. Last night, March 25, the Bolts hosted Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena and dominated with plenty of goals and player milestones.

Longtime forward of the Lightning, Anthony Cirelli, competed in his 500th NHL game with the Bolts and put on a big show for the fans in attendance. In the first period, he opened the scoring with help from Nick Paul.

A different look, wearing the fishbowl, did not change his performance whatsoever. Cirelli made it 3-0 right after Ryan McDonough’s 2-0 goal at 13:30.

However, the scoring wasn’t done in the first, as Brayden Point wristed one past Tristan Jarry off the rebound.

From Point’s goal came the assists, and Nikita Kucherov collected his 100th point this season as he continues to climb the top point-scoring ranks in the NHL. Jarry’s night also ended after giving up four unanswered goals in four minutes, so Alex Nedeljkovic took over and finished the game.

Fifteen minutes into the middle frame, Kucherov grabbed another point, making it 5-0 on the power play. This was after he was knocked down in the crease, drawing a power play, by a Pens defender and had to leave the ice briefly.

Then minutes before the buzzer, another star player for the Bolts, Brandon Hagel, netted goal number-six for his team.

In the third, the scoring action was over for the home team, but they still held their lead and ground despite giving up a single goal to Bryan Rust at 14:15. So, in other words, Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 40th shutout win will have to wait for another day.

Final score of this matchup was 6-1 Tampa Bay. Shots on goal: 15 Pittsburgh, 27 Tampa.

Three Stars

  1. Kucherov (1G-2A)
  2. Cirelli (2G)
  3. McDonough (1G-1A)

The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Utah Hockey Club for the first time ever, as the team welcomes back former defenseman Mikael Sergachev to Tampa on March 27.

ITR 36: Coaching Carousel Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as they discuss another batch of coaching departures and update on the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
  1. ITR 36: Coaching Carousel
  2. ITR 35: Round One
  3. ITR 34: End Of The Road
  4. ITR 33: The Gr8 One
  5. ITR 32: The Final Countdown

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Jake Farmer

I'm a photographer and writer covering the ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits based in Greenville, South Carolina, and writer of Tampa Bay Lightning content. Twitter and Instagram: JakeCF.Hockey

Leave a Reply

Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights

Edmonton Oilers Playoff Thoughts: Round 2 Game 1

Hockey weekends like this past one are always more fun when it’s not your team playing a tight and stressful game. But now it’s time we got back to watching our games. As I’m writing this, the Los Angeles Kings are mutually parting ways with former defenseman and now former GM Rob Blake. I alluded […]

Read More
NHL Draft Lottery

Detroit Red Wings Fall in Draft Lottery Once Again

The NHL Draft Lottery was held last night before game one of the second-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. The Detroit Red Wings once again fell in the draft, this time to number 13. The New York Islanders will have the first pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, while the […]

Read More
NHL Playoff Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights with Line Combinations 5/5/2025

NHL Playoff Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights with Line Combinations 5/6/2025

NHL Playoff Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights with Line Combinations 5/5/2025

Read More