BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli’s planted a pair of first-period goals which helped the visiting Lightning build a three-goal lead and hold off the Boston Bruins for a 4-3 victory on Monday afternoon.
Pontus Holmberg had a goal and an assist, Yanni Gourde added a goal, and Jonas Johansson made 30 saves for the Lightning, who shook their first 0-2-0 start under coach Jon Cooper.
Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves and Jake Guentzel each had two assists.
The Lightning finished 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, with the last coming during Johansson’s 10-save third period.
Casey Mittelstadt, Jordan Harris and Morgan Geekie each scored a goal for the Bruins, who saw their three-game season-opening win streak come to an end. Boston’s Joonas Korpisalo stopped 19 shots.
The Lightning scored 1:09 into the game as Cirelli tipped home Guentzel’s shot from the right side. Guentzel picked off Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy at neutral ice and bumped the puck to Goncalves, who made the play with a cross-ice pass.
Cirelli made it 2-0 at 13:16 when he deposited Guentzel’s backhand from behind the goal over Korpisalo’s glove-side shoulder. Another turnover extended the Lightning’s zone time before the goal.
After Boston was held scoreless in the first period for the first time this season, Tampa Bay extended its lead to 3-0 on the opening shift of the second period. Holmberg drove to the net and spun to feed a wide-open Gourde for a tap-in at the 39-second mark.
Mittelstadt responded with Boston’s first goal just 30 seconds later, scoring a wrist shot from the high slot off a strong rush sequence.
Tampa Bay reestablished a three-goal lead at 3:37 of the second period when Holmberg banged in a loose puck in the crease after Max Crozier centered it from the side wall.
Harris scored his first as a Bruin at 5:31. After David Pastrnak chipped the puck off the defensive zone wall, Harris beat Johansson with a short-side wrister.
Pavel Zacha’s faceoff win led right to Geekie for a quick flick of the wrist from the left circle, bringing Boston back within 4-3 at 11:35.
With Boston skating 6-on-5 in the final minute, Pastrnak blocked Brandon Hagel’s shot at an empty net before Johansson’s key rebound stop on Geekie in the slot preserved the victory.
–Field Level Media