NHL roundup: Lightning win 4th straight, Caps falls to Utah ahead of 4 Nations

On Sunday, the NHL featured a modest two-game early schedule, largely due to Super Bowl LIX. The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over the Montreal Canadiens, while the Utah Hockey Club triumphed over the Capitals in a shootout.

The Lightning took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Nick Paul (16) and Victor Hedman (8). Brendan Gallagher (13) responded for Montreal, narrowing the gap to 2-1 before the second period. However, Tampa Bay surged ahead, with Brayden Point (31) and Zemgus Girgensons (1) increasing the lead to 4-1.

Montreal fought back with goals from Christian Dvorak (6) and Gallagher (14), but Tampa Bay secured the win with an empty-net goal from Anthony Cirelli (20), finalizing the score at 5-3.

The Lightning's four-game winning streak is currently the best in the Eastern Conference and the second-best in the league, trailing only the Winnipeg Jets, who have an eight-game streak. Conversely, Montreal has now suffered three consecutive losses and holds a record of 2-7-1 over their last ten games.

In the matchup between Utah and Washington, Utah established a 3-1 lead by the beginning of the second period. The Capitals responded with two goals from Tom Wilson (24), pushing the game into overtime, where neither team managed to score.

Ultimately, Utah's Nick Schmaltz netted the only goal in the shootout, marking their third victory in four games. Utah's goaltender Karel Vejmelka replaced Connor Ingram and made 30 saves against the league's second-best team.

Currently, Utah stands at 24-23-9, still nine points behind the Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division, where they occupy fifth place. The Capitals, with a record of 36-11-8, maintain a significant 10-point lead in the Metropolitan Division and a nine-point advantage over the Eastern Conference, with the Florida Panthers in second place at 34-20-3.

The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off is set to commence on Monday and Tuesday, featuring practices for each participating country (USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland) prior to the games scheduled between February 12th and February 20th.

All NHL games will be suspended until the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

SportsLigue