With a line-up that was missing it’s top center and three of their four most used defensemen, the Tampa Bay Lightning needed their best players to step up and take control against a feisty Philadelphia Flyers team. The Bolts answered the call as Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his first shutout of the season with 20 saves while Brandon Hagel scored twice and added an assist. His linemates, Anthony Cirelli (1 goal, 1 assist), and Nikita Kucherov (3 assists) provided the rest of the offense as the Lightning moved into first place in the Atlantic Division.
It wasn’t the most exciting game the Lightning have played all season, but Coach Jon Cooper and his staff aren’t upset about that. It was a complete team effort as they limited the Flyers to just 44 shot attempts, 21 scoring chances, and 6 high-danger chances. Those chances that were generated were easily swallowed up by Vasilevsky who was as sharp positionally as he’s been all season. Any dangerous chance the Flyers flung at him was dismissively flicked aside by a blocker or a leg pad.
In front of him, the Lightning skaters clogged up the neutral zone, which forced the Flyers to spend most of the night dumping the puck in deep. For most of the night, with some exceptions in the third period, the Bolts dealt with any attempted forecheck by moving the puck out quickly. Their gap control was tight, with the forwards giving the defense options for outlet passes.
Offensively, the Hagel-Cirelli-Kucherov combination was in sync all night, generating eight scoring chances and four high-danger chances. The first goal of the night was typical Lightning offense. Hagel carried it into the zone and dished it to Kucherov. Emil Lilleberg stepped into a feed from Kucherov and Hagel was in front to tip it past Sam Ersson.
Brandon Hagel [10] (Emil Lilleberg, Nikita Kucherov) 1-0 Lightning
“TIPPED IN FRONT BY BRANDON HAGEL!!!!!”
Lilleberg tees up the slapshot and it finds its way in!
#PHIvsTBL
🎧: boltsaud.io/live
📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) November 24, 2025 at 7:49 PM
As well as the Lightning were playing, it was a one-goal game for most of the night. At least until the Lightning trio had a chance to run it through the neutral zone with speed. Kurcherov sprung a two-on-one and Hagel showed a nice bit of patience for a player that normally attacks at Mach 9. With the Flyers defenseman sliding on the ice, Hagel waited until the seam was cleared before sending it in front of the net where Cirelli was waiting to tap it past Ersson, who finished with 15 saves on 17 shots.
Anthony Cirelli [9] (Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov) 2-0 Lightning
“In front Cirelli, SCORREEE!!! CIRELLI!!!
Great patience from Hagel and Cirelli finishes it off!
#PHIvsTBL
🎧: boltsaud.io/live
📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) November 24, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Part of the Lightning’s success was that they stayed out of the penalty box. Outside of a Curtis Douglas/ Nicolas Deslauriers fight in the first period, both penalty boxes stayed empty until the third period when Charle-Edouard D’Astous took a high-stick penalty during a post-whistle scrum.
With the game still 2-0 at the time, it was a chance for the Flyers to pull within a goal, but the Lightning penalty kill wasn’t having any of it. They played, for lack of a better word, angry for the 35 seconds they were short-handed. Hagel would draw a call to end the threat.
The Flyers did have Vasilevskiy on the ropes with less than six minutes to go as the Lightning netminder was on his backside after a shot ricocheted around in front of him. Tyson Foerester had the puck on his stick and a wide-open net, but J.J. Moser fell in front of him and blocked the shot in the crease with his ribs. A move that earned the defenseman an appreciative pat on the helmet from his goaltender.
With Ersson on the bench in the dying moments of the games, the Lightning would not waste their chance as the empty net as Kucherov fed Hagel for the easy goal. The win, coupled with a Detroit loss to New Jersey, propelled the Lightning into first place by a point.
Brandon Hagel [11] (Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli) Empty Net, 3-0 Lightning
“SCORE! BRANDON HAGEL!”
More points for Hags with the empty netter!
#PHIvsTBL
🎧: boltsaud.io/live
📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) November 24, 2025 at 9:49 PM