That was a wild hockey game. The Tampa Bay Lightning clawed their way back from a three-goal deficit only to lose after their second game-tying goal of the third period is wiped off of the board following a video review from hockey operations in Toronto. Despite launching 73 shot attempts at the net, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins as Tristan Jarry stopped 37 shots on the night, including 15 in the first period when the Lightning were pushing for the game-opening goal.
It was the Penguins vaunted power play that proved to be the difference as they converted 2-of-4 chances to build a 3-0 lead. Power play goals from Ville Koivunen and Ben Kindel were sandwiched around an Evgeni Malkin goal. Nikita Kucherov scored late in the second period to start the comeback. Two third period goals from Brandon Hagel tied it before Malkin scored the eventual game-winner. Nikita Kucherov thought he had tied it with less than a minute to go, but hockey operations determined that a hand-pass was made prior to the goal.
Jonas Johansson, in a surprise start, stopped 27-of-31. Darren Raddysh continued his breakout season as he added two more assists. The Lightning did convert on one power play, but it still felt like a bad night for the unit as they let five other chances go by without a goal. With the loss, the Lightning’s four-game winning streak comes to an end.
First Period:
19:44 – Zemgus Girgensons wins a race to the puck and curls around the net to get a shot on goal that is tipped by Pontus Holmberg. If there is one major difference between his game this year and last year, it’s his skating. Girgensons looks a lot faster on the ice. Oddly enough, according to NHL Edge stats, his max speed last season was 22.99, but is just 21.62 so far this season.
18:51 – Brandon Hagel is in alone! And Jarry makes the save. The hottest scorer in the league almost finds daylight between the pads.
17:24 – The nightly Curtis Douglas fight gets out of the way early as he takes on former Lightning draft pick Boko Imama. Despite the reach advantage for the Lightning forward, the fight goes to Imama on points.
15:35 – Nikita Kucherov with a nifty little backhand pass between the legs of a defender leads to a clean shot for Anthony Cirelli. Jarry has been sharp early on as the Bolts are racking up quality chances. There is a lot of open ice in the Penguins defensive zone right now.
15:02 – Max Crozier, welcome back to the ice.He grabs an arm right in front of the referee (Dude, you have to grab the arm on the side the ref can’t see!). Time for the best power play in the league to meet the league’s best penalty kill unit.
13:48 – FIrst career goal alert! After Jarry stops Yanni Gourde and Girgensons on back-to-back chances, Ville Koivenen beats Johansson on the glove side.
Ville Koivenen [1] (Kris Letang, Tommy Novak) Power Play, 1-0 Penguins
“THERE IT IS VILLE!” 🤩
Ville Koivunen has his first NHL goal!
— NHL (Bot) (@notnhl.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 7:39 PM
8:46 – Time for the Lightning to give it a whirl on the power play. Parker Wortherspoon, Esq. picks up a holding call on Dominic James, who was in on the forecheck. Things slowed down a bit after the Koivenen goal with both teams defending the front of their net well. The Lightning have had a few productive entries, but Pittsburgh has been able to break up the final passes.
7:31 – Darren Raddysh’s 97 MPH is blocked as the Lightning pile up chances on the power play. Nick Paul just missed tucking one into the far post as did Jake Guentzel. The Penguins respond with a rush chance that rings off the post.
6:28 – Charle Edouard-D’Astous is the latest robbery victory as J.J. Moser sets him up for a one-time from the slot.
6:02 – The Lightning are back on the power play as another rush at the net draws a slashing call. this time it’s Ryan Graves slashing Dominic James.
2:34 – One more save for Jarry. The second opportunity with the extra skater wasn’t as quality as the first, but the Lightning still had some looks. If nothing else, it’s showcasing a Nikita Kucherov that is in a shooting mood (he ends up with four shots on net off of seven attempts in the period).
1:57 – A snap-shot from Kucherov hits Jarry in the glove and he traps it against his helmet as he crumbles to the ice. Unorthodox, but effective.
0:23.1 – One more power play for the Lightning after J.J. Moser and Sidney Crosby engage in a battle of crosschecks. Crosby gets the last one in (and snaps his stick in two), but that’s the one the referee sees and calls.
That was a solid period of hockey, and if not for Tristen Jarry, it would be 3-1 in favor of the Lightning. They have to keep that energy going as the game rolls on.
Second Period:
17:49 – The Pens ice the puck after killing off the penalty. The Lightning struggle to get set up on that opportunity as Pittsburgh really pressure the entry. During a between-the-whistles interview, Gabby Shirley asks Jeff Halpern about the struggles. “Having a hard time getting it in the zone.” See, we could be an assistant coach.
14:49 – A two-on-one rush gets a little too deep and James can’t get a good shot off on the feed from Jake Guentzel. Lightning starting to find it a little tougher to get their passes through in the offensive zone.
12:07 – Evgeni Malkin breaks in alone after a turnover in the neutral zone. A deke opens up the five-hole and he makes it 2-0. That man loves scoring against the Lightning like we love The Outer Banks. A lot. It’s a really fun show. That’s Malkin’s 30th goal in 49 career games against the Lightning in the regular season.
Evgeni Malkin [7] (unassisted), 2-0 Penguins
One for Geno!
There was some FIRE in that celly! 😤
— NHL (Bot) (@notnhl.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Hagel was briefly benched after the turnover, and took full responsibility after the game. “Obviously that’s not the recipe to win. I know that, and I have to do better,” he told reporters after the game. His coach loved his response during the game (stay tuned) and praised him while admitting that everyone needs a wake-up call. “If I could have 20 Brandon Hagels on my team I would take them, but sometimes your kids have to be disciplined, doesn’t mean they don’t love ya.”
10:11 – Well, this is getting out of hand. Ben Kindel tips home a shot-pass from Erik Karlsson on the power play. Those high-slot deflections are so hard for a goalie to stop. The Penguins have been driving the play of late. The age gap between the second goal scorer (Malkin at 39-years-old) and the third (Kindel at 18) is old enough to drink.
Ben Kindel [7] (Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin) Power Play, 3-0 Penguins
Ben Kindel tips it home! 🙌
That’s his seventh of the season!
— NHL (Bot) (@notnhl.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 8:36 PM
9:44 – So, yeah. Taking a penalty when you’re down 3-0 and have already given up two power play goals isn’t the best tactic, but Max Crozier doesn’t adhere to your strategies as he heads to the box for interference.
7:44 – Jake Guentzel flicks a shot on net as the Penguins power play expires. Step one, don’t allow a power play goal, was accomplished. Now they need to figure out the next few steps to get this game tied.
5:56 – Fourth time is the charm? Emil Lilleberg is hooked by Karlsson and they head back to the power play. Yay? [It would not be the charm]
4:22 – The drawback of not having a right-handed shot on the second unit rears its head. Kucherov makes a nice pass to Gage Goncalves, but the Portuguese Pistol has to take it on his backhand. He can’t get a shot off and then turns it over. Prior to that, they had some decent looks with Bjorkstrand from the slot that Jarry fends off, and a one-timer from Kucherov that the goaltender stops.
1:14 – HUGE GOAL! Late in the period Darren Raddysh steps around a sliding Sidney Crosby and feeds it across the slot for an easy back-door tap-in by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning are going to have something to build on in the third period.
Nikita Kucherov [12] (Darren Raddysh, Jake Guentzel) 3-1 Penguins
“WHAT A PASS!!! RADDYSH TO KUCHEROV!!!”
Raddy with a dot to Kuch!
#PITvsTBL
🎧: boltsaud.io/live
📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Special teams could be the factor tonight as the Penguins have two power play goals and the Lightning are 0-for-4 with the extra skater. Tampa Bay is going to have to stay out of the box over the next 20 minutes. They got one behind Jarry, and now that there is a small crack in his confidence, maybe they can pour in a few more goals.
Third Period:
18:58 – A power play can help the comeback. Well, a successful one can. Letang to the box early in the period as he takes down Guentzel. Kucherov gives it a whirl as he rips a shot on net off the face-off.
18:43 – SUCCESS! Another face-off win leads to a winged pass across the ice by Kucherov. Hagel takes it off the boards and rips it into the top corner on the short side to beat Jarry. Yay. Free cheese curds for everyone!
Brandon Hagel [16] (Nikita Kucherov, Darren Raddysh) Power Play, 3-2
“BRANDON HAGEL, REDEMPTION!!!”
Hagel snipes it on the power play!
#PITvsTBL
🎧: boltsaud.io/live
📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 9:22 PM
15:50 – A patient Lightning power play unit (yes, they’re back on the advantage) leads to a hard shot from Bjorkstrand but Jarry traps it against the bird on his sweater. He follows that up with a nice pad save.
14:43 – Bjorkstrand from the same spot has a shot tipped over the net as Jarry was completely out of position. He can’t buy, steal, or borrow a goal right now.
12:51 – It’s the Penguins turn with the extra skater and now it’s Johansson making a big save as he slides across to deny future Lightning trade deadline pick-up Bryan Rust at the near post.
11:15 – After watching a puck carom past him and through his crease in front of an empty net on a dump-in, Jarry stops Brandon Hagel on a short-handed rush. Hagel and Cirelli have that extra gear when they smell a short-handed break opportunity.
10:16 – Crozier joins the “Prime Opportunities Denied By Jarry” club as his chance from the slot off the rush is stoned by the goalie’s right pad.
8:16 – BRANDON HAGEL BRINGS THE CROWD TO THEIR FEET! He takes a pass off of Nick Paul’s skate and cuts in front of Jarry. The goaltender goes down and Hagel lifts it over his glove for the game-tying goal. The Bolts battle all the way back, and credit to Johansson who had to make some big saves on the Penguins power play.
Brandon Hagel [17] (Nick Paul, Gage Goncalves) 3-3
“BRANDON HAGEL!!! TWO GOALS IN THE PERIOD!!!”
The Bolts tie things up thanks to Hags!
#PITvsTBL
🎧: boltsaud.io/live
📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
6:28 – A bouncing puck lands on Rust’s stick, but Johansson is there to make the save. Excellent job of tracking the puck by the goaltender, and he kept everything tight to prevent a back-breaking goal.
2:43 – It’s that Malkin guy again. The brokenest of broken plays leads to another goal. A lob into the zone is swatted at by D’Astous. He only gets a bit of it and it trickles behind him. Emil Lilleberg is caught in-between and lunges at it. He collides with a group of players and that allows Tommy Novak to make a nifty pass around the pile of humanity that finds Malkin all alone at the far post. Johansson almost gets a skate on it, but it finds the back of the net.
Evgeni Malkin [8] (Tommy Novak, Anthony Mantha) 4-3 Penguins
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Evgeni Malkin with 02:43 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Tommy Novak and Anthony Mantha.
Tampa Bay: 3
Pittsburgh: 4
#PITvsTBL #GoBolts #LetsGoPens
— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 9:46 PM
55.4 – Nikita Kucherov with the one-timer past Jarry. BUT WAIT! The situation room throws the challenge flag (not really, they just contact the refs). They’re reviewing for a hand pass and the Penguins bench seems pretty confident. Hagel is defending himself and he lifts his hand in self-defense as the puck is rimmed around the glass.
The ruling is….hand pass. No Goal.
“I don’t know.Those are close. I tried to protect myself when it comes around the board, and I guess maybe, it nicked my glove.” was Hagel’s response when asked about the play after the game.
Wow. Just wow. Talk about interpreting the rule by the letter and not the spirit. Pretty sure that’s the third goal Kucherov has had pulled off the board due to a video review. Coach Cooper echoed that sentiment in his post-game conference, calling it “laughable” that it was called back after a lengthy answer about intent and advantage.
0:00 – The Lightning push after the restart, but Jarry stops Kucherov, who had gotten behind the defense, a wild attempt goes behind the goalie but through the crease and a final pass to the back door is tipped wide of the net by D’Astous. Somehow the Penguins pull off of the win.
Highlights:
PRETTY COLORS!!!!!
