Lightning score 3 goals in 32 seconds, beat Blackhawks 6-3
By TIM CRONIN | Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Victor Hedman scored twice, Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Sunday night.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions came from behind with a five-goal outburst over seven minutes bridging the second and third periods. Hedman, Corey Perry, and Sergachev scored Tampa Bay's last three goals in a 32-second span in the third.
“We were shooting pucks, and good things happen,” Hedman said. “It felt quick. I didn’t know it was that quick. Credit to the guys for stepping on the gas. It was crazy.”
Cal Foote and Taylor Raddysh also scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots and picked up his league-leading 30th victory of the season. Tampa Bay won its second straight and seventh in eighth games.
Dylan Strome, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat scored for Chicago. Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves.
“There’s making big saves, but watch the highlights tonight and (see) the saves he made,” Lightnihg coach Jon Cooper said of Fleury. “That’s what kept us in it.”
Hedman’s first goal of the game with 4:43 left in the second period evened the score at 2-all. His shot from 25 feet came after a Tampa Bay power play ended.
Foote scored his first of the season for a 3-2 Lightning lead 1:31 later.
Hedman ripped a slap shot between Fleury’s legs for a 4-2 advantage 1:51 into the third period. Perry picked up Chicago defenseman Jake McCabe’s turnover and scored 17 seconds later. Fifteen seconds after that, the Lightning went up 6-2 on Sergachev’s 55-foot screened shot for three Lightning goals on as many shots.
The 32-second span for three unanswered goals is the fastest against the Blackhawks in their history, and matches the 21st fastest in NHL history, according to the league.
“It was bang-bang-bang,” Blackhawks coach Derek King said. “Tough for us to climb out of that hole. We don’t have that firepower.”
The Blackhawks led 1-0 after a period on Strome’s 16th goal of the season, a one-timer over Vasilevskiy’s left shoulder. Raddysh tied the game on a backhand shot in the slot 1:09 into the second, but after Kane beat Vasilevskiy on a screened 40-foot shot at 6:09 of the second, the Lightning took over.
They scored the next five goals against Fleury on eight shots.
“It got away from us pretty quickly,” Kane said. “In five or six minutes, all of a sudden it’s 6-2. And Vasilevskiy showed why he’s one of the best in the world, if not the best.”
It was the eighth time this season the Lightning had scored at least six goals, and eighth time the Blackhawks allowed at least six.
NOTES
After closing to within three games of .500, the Blackhawks are 5-11-2 since Jan. 17. … Tampa Bay D Zach Bogosian missed his 15th straight game with a lower-body injury. … Lightning D Cal Foote hadn’t scored since Jan. 30, 2021, a 69-game drought. … Chicago C Tyler Johnson played in his 600th career game.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay: The second of the Lightning’s six-game trip is Tuesday in Winnipeg, followed by stops in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle.
Chicago: Anaheim visits the Blackhawks on Tuesday.
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