Andrei Vasilevskiy showcased his goaltending prowess by making 24 saves in his 300th NHL win, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-1 triumph over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night. This victory halted the Jets' impressive seven-game win streak.
Vasilevskiy's milestone win solidified his position as the 40th goaltender in NHL history to achieve 300 wins. Notably, he accomplished this feat in just 490 games, setting a new record as the fastest goalie to reach 300 wins, surpassing Jacques Plante by 31 games.
The Lightning, who had previously struggled against the Jets, came out strong with Jake Guentzel scoring two goals. Guentzel's first goal early in the first period set the tone for Tampa Bay, followed by goals from Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli in the second period, giving the Lightning a commanding 3-0 lead.
Although Winnipeg's Adam Lowry managed to score a goal in the second period, Guentzel sealed the victory for Tampa Bay with an empty-netter in the final seconds of the game.
Despite the loss, Winnipeg's backup goalie Eric Comrie put up a solid performance with 25 saves but suffered his first defeat in four starts this season.
Key Takeaways
Jets: Winnipeg's power play, which led the NHL at 42.2%, struggled in this game, going 0 for 5.
Lightning: After a seven-day break, Tampa Bay secured its first win of the month following a challenging start to November.
Key Moment
Anthony Cirelli's power-play goal early in the second period marked a significant turning point for the Lightning, as it was their first power-play goal at Amalie Arena this season after 17 attempts. Tampa Bay had an impressive 31.2% success rate on power plays at home during the 2023-24 season.
Key Stat
Despite his overall success, Vasilevskiy's win against the Jets was only his fifth in 13 career decisions against them (5-7-1).
Upcoming Games
The Jets will face off against Florida on Saturday night, while the Lightning will host New Jersey on the same day.
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