The top-liner shook Carolina Hurricanes center Victor Rask and went the length of the ice to score the winner in overtime Saturday night, giving the Lightning a franchise-record ninth straight win.
TORONTO - Zack Smith scored the winner as the Ottawa Senators kept their slim playoff hopes alive in Dion Phaneuf's return to Toronto, defeating the Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday.
Smith re-directed a Mark Stone feed past Jonathan Bernier with 2...
The Winnipeg Jets center registered a hat trick for the first time in his NHL career Saturday night, scoring once in the second period and twice in the third in a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
The 22-year-old opened the scoring when he stole the puck from P.K. Subban in the Canadiens' defensive zone.
Scheifele redirected a Drew Stafford shot to give the Jets a 3-2 lead with 6:59 remaining, then added an empty-netter to seal the victory with 29 seconds left.
WINNIPEG - Mark Scheifele's first-career hat trick elevated the Winnipeg Jets over the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 Saturday night in a see-saw matchup.
Scheifele's empty-netter late in the third completing the trio after giving the Jets 1-0 and 3-...
For at least one night, Radko Gudas played like an elite-level NHL defenseman.
Heading into Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Philadelphia Flyers blue-liner had zero goals, six assists, 98 shots, 98 penalty minutes, and a minus-two rating through 57 games.
Check Gudas' stat line from the tilt with the Blue Jackets:
Time on Ice
Goals
Assists
Shots
Hits
PIM
+/-
19:56
2
2
7
5
4
4
As another point of reference, Gudas' single-season career high in points is 22, set in 2013-14 with Tampa Bay; in one game, he dropped 18 percent of that total.
Yes, one of his goals came from center ice, but we might not see the stat sheet filled by such an unlikely player again this season.
Alex Killorn, though, will be remembered in Lightning trivia. He scored in overtime, his 13th of the season, to give Tampa Bay its record.
The Lightning have used their remarkable run to leap into first place in the Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers have two fewer points, but even if they win Saturday, the Lightning will hold first place based on wins. Tampa's got 39 (36 in regulation) while Florida has 36 (30 in regulation).
Yeah, we know: It's a good time to be a hockey fan in Florida.
PHILADELPHIA - Radko Gudas scored one of his two goals from 91 feet and added two assists, and Steve Mason made 19 saves in his return to the net in the Philadelphia Flyers' 6-0 rout of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
Michael Raf...
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Brian O'Neill scored in overtime on the power play to lift the Albany Devils over the St. John's IceCaps 5-4 on Saturday in American Hockey League action.
Mike Sislo, Matt Lorito, Rod Pelley and Blake Pietila helped stake A...
The head coach isn't going anywhere, according to Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Trevor Linden, who said as much to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
"Earlier this week, I had a chance to speak to Trevor Linden and one of the things he said was, 'End any speculation about Willie Desjardins' future. There's no doubt he will be back as head coach of the Canucks'," Friedman said during Saturday's edition of "Headlines."
Desjardins is 24-27-12 in his second season behind the Canucks' bench, with Vancouver entering Saturday's action 12 points out of a playoff spot.
The Canucks went 48-29-5 in his first NHL campaign last season before being eliminated in six games by the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs.
This won't help P.K. Subban get in head coach Michel Therrien's good graces.
The Montreal Canadiens defenseman tried one too many moves in his own zone, coughing up the puck to Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele, who buried an easy goal to open the scoring Saturday night.
Therrien singled out his Norris Trophy-winning blue-liner last month for a turnover that led to an overtime winner for the Colorado Avalanche.
Alex Galchenyuk scored his 20th goal of the season to tie the game about a minute later, so maybe Subban's off the hook for now.