Tampa Bay Lightning rookie forward Gage Goncalves had a rookie-of-the-year type performance on Friday at a time when the hockey world is talking about end of season awards for the 2024-25 campaign.
Goncalves scored twice for his first multi-goal and multi-point game in the NHL, but the Lightning fell 4-3 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings at AMALIE Arena.
Tampa Bay is now 45-26-8 on the season and will host the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
Goncalves gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead early in the third period, but Detroit tied the game at three goals a side with seven minutes left in regulation. The visitors went on to win with a Marco Kasper goal 2:38 into the overtime period.
Despite earning a standings point, Lightning players said postgame they have to get their game in order for the playoffs, set to begin April 19.
"Especially when you're trying to get ready for the best hockey, the most fun, your game's got to be in order, and we have the team in here to do it,” Brandon Hagel said. “But we've just gotta take a step back here and take these three games and really try...And I don't know what it is, but we’ve just got to find a way to bring that full 60 (minutes).”
Tampa Bay had a quick start on Friday, scoring 61 seconds into the game.
Hagel burst through the neutral zone and found an open Anthony Cirelli at the blue line. Cirelli earned a short break from there, fighting through a Detroit stick lift to beat Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon with a shot at the right post.
The goal was Tampa Bay’s second-fastest in any game this season, beaten only by Mitchell Chaffee’s goal 30 seconds into a March 4 win.
Detroit tied the game 4:07 into the second period with Patrick Kane’s shot from the high slot before a pair of funky bounces helped both teams.
Detroit then took its first lead with 3:23 remaining in the second period. A point shot hit the glass behind the Lightning net and bounced back into the Lightning crease, where Tyler Motte dug the loose puck into the net for a 2-1 score.
Just over a minute later, Tampa Bay evened the score with their own fortunate puck hop.
Hagel chipped a puck toward the Detroit net, and Goncalves pressured the loose puck in front. The puck chipped off Goncalves’ skate and slipped through the pads of Lyon to make it 2-2 with 2:12 left in the period.
"Obviously a tough one there,” Goncalves said of the game. “But honestly, just kind of getting back to what we were doing kind of a month ago in our D zone first, we were getting a lot of kills down low and protecting the middle of the ice. A couple unfortunate bounces tonight, so hopefully we can rebound back against Buffalo.”
Goncalves’ second goal of the night regained the Lightning lead.
With a Detroit defender skating to pick up their helmet that had fallen off, Goncalves took a pass from Hagel and rushed in alone on Lyon. He finished the play with a snap shot through Lyon into the left side of the net for a 3-2 score.
"He was our best player tonight,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “He did a heck of a job. He's playing with a couple pretty good players, but he is helping them as much as they're helping him as well. So it's good to see, and hopefully he can keep it going.”
Kasper tied the game with 7:01 left in regulation, finishing a 2-on-1 rush with his shot from the left faceoff dot.
That goal set up overtime, when Kasper stretched into the zone and scored on his shot near the left hashmark to win the game.
Hagel had two assists to join Goncalves and Cirelli (goal, assist) as the Lightning’s leading scorers on Friday, a night Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 22 saves.
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
1. Marco Kasper (DET) 2 Goals, OT winner
2. Gage Goncalves (TBL) 2 Goals
3. Anthony Cirelli (TBL) Goal, Assist
