The Tampa Bay Lightning are doing more than just winning hockey games right now - they’re scripting thrillers. Night after night, they’re finding new ways to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and Tuesday night in Buffalo was no exception.
Fresh off an emotional comeback win over the Bruins in the Stadium Series, the Lightning didn’t need another four-goal rally. But they did need another dose of late-game magic.
Down 3-2 in the final minute of regulation, Tampa Bay pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for the extra attacker. And that’s when Darren Raddysh stepped up - again.
With 26 seconds left, Raddysh unleashed a 98 mph one-timer from the center point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net. Tie game.
Crowd silenced. Lightning alive.
And just when it looked like the game might head to a shootout, Jake Guentzel put the finishing touch on another dramatic win. With 15 seconds left in overtime, Guentzel - who’s been thrust into a top-line center role due to a slew of injuries - took a stretch pass from Nikita Kucherov, skated in, and buried the game-winner five-hole. Final score: Lightning 4, Sabres 3.
“We believe that we’re never out of a game,” said Raddysh, whose 17 goals this season rank third among NHL defensemen. “It was evident the last two days - coming back from four down, and definitely coming back (Tuesday).”
The numbers back it up. The Lightning are now 18-1-1 in their last 20 games. That’s not just a hot streak - that’s a team firing on all cylinders, even while dealing with adversity.
Head coach Jon Cooper couldn’t help but admire the resilience: “People are getting big goals at big times, and it’s really just a pleasure to coach these guys. There’s a lot of positivity on the bench, and for the most part, everybody pulls in the right direction.”
Guentzel, in particular, has been doing the heavy lifting. On Tuesday, he logged a team-high 26:07 of ice time, including nearly four minutes on both the power play and penalty kill. He also took 26 faceoffs - not bad for a guy who’s primarily a winger.
“That’s what smart hockey players can do,” Cooper said. “They can play every position. I could have probably put him on D (Tuesday), and he would have excelled.”
With Anthony Cirelli (injured Sunday), Nick Paul (hurt in overtime that same night), and top center Brayden Point (out since Jan. 12) all sidelined, the Lightning needed someone to step into the pivot. Guentzel didn’t hesitate.
“It’s been a while, that’s for sure,” Guentzel said of playing center. “I played it growing up, but when I got to pro, I moved to wing pretty quickly.
It’s a little more skating, that’s for sure. I don’t think I’ll take that many faceoffs again.
So, it was definitely different.”
Cooper admitted he was concerned about a potential letdown after the emotional high of Sunday’s outdoor win. Especially with Buffalo rolling into the game 21-4-1 over its last 26. And when Josh Doan tipped in a power-play goal with just over five minutes left in regulation to put the Sabres ahead 3-2, that concern looked valid.
But the Lightning didn’t flinch.
Kucherov - who recorded his second straight four-point night - found Raddysh for the tying goal, then later started the play that led to Guentzel’s winner. On the game-tying goal, Raddysh blasted the puck home and immediately turned to the boards, slamming his gloves in celebration.
“Kuch makes my job easy,” Raddysh said. “I just need to come in and pound it. ...
It’s back to 0-0, it’s next goal wins. And you have every belief in the guys in this room to get the job done.”
That belief is real. Raddysh has now scored in five straight games, becoming just the sixth defenseman in the last 25 years to do so. Vasilevskiy did his part too, stopping 23 shots - five of them in overtime - to keep Tampa Bay in it until Guentzel could deliver the final blow.
That final sequence? Pure hustle and execution.
The puck leaked off the end wall to Kucherov, who sent a perfect pass up to Guentzel. From just past the red line, Guentzel ripped a wrister from the right hash that beat Buffalo goalie Colten Ellis between the legs.
“We just stick to it to the last whistle,” said Guentzel, who’s set to represent Team USA in the upcoming Olympics. “We go into every game like we feel we have a chance to win it. We believe in our group, and when we’re down, we just keep pushing.”
Right now, the Lightning aren’t just winning - they’re doing it with grit, depth, and belief. Even with key players out, they’re finding ways to rise to the moment. And if this stretch is any indication, they’re not just surviving the grind of the season - they’re thriving in it.