Tampa Bay Lightning vs Dallas Stars (via Getty Images) The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their blazing pace in the NHL with a dominating 4-1 away victory over the Dallas Stars in their match on Sunday at the American Airlines Center. Living up to their reputation as one of the most consistent teams in this year’s NHL, they expanded their point streak to a remarkable 13 games.Jake Guentzel played a crucial part in leading his side to victory as he scored one goal and assisted another as the Lightning extended their winless run to 12-0-1. Tampa Bay found themselves on the back foot but quickly gained composure as their opponents searched for solutions.
Tampa Bay Lightning responds after early setback to gain control over Dallas Stars
NHL Highlights | Lightning vs. Stars – January 18, 2025
The Dallas Stars launched the first attack with a 1-0 lead at just four minutes into the game, and a puck slipped past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. However, Tampa Bay scored with composure and resolve, leveling the score late in the first period. As play continued, the overall depth of the Tampa Bay side started to break down against the Dallas defense. They started employing strong forepressure along with greater efficiency in exiting the D-zone. This approach finally yielded fruit in the early second period when Brandon Hagel scored after good possession of the puck in the crease.“I liked our response after we went down one,” said Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh, who had an assist. “We stuck to our game plan. We wanted to make them defend, and I thought we did pretty well in the first period there and then carried it into the second and third.”A late empty-netter in the third period just put the icing on the cake in securing yet another team effort win for the Lightning. This victory further emphasized the dominance exuded by the team in the current winning streak and in overcoming early challenges faced by the team.For the Stars, the loss was the latest in what has seemed to be an inconsistent string. Despite occasional good play, the Dallas team was not able to match the Tampa Bay team in the overall execution.With their points streak rising and their key players playing well, the Lightning continue to find their rhythm at the right time of the year and are showing excellent balance and championship habits that make them such a difficult team to beat every night.