The Tampa Bay Lightning clinched their ninth consecutive playoff berth before defeating the Boston Bruins 3-1 at Amalie Arena, thanks to the New York Rangers’ victory over Detroit earlier in the day. Darren Raddysh scored the game-winning goal and set a franchise record with his 21st goal of the season, the most by a Lightning defenseman in a single campaign. Nikita Kucherov sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, his 399th career tally.
The game started sluggishly with a scoreless first period that featured very few scoring chances for either side. Charlie McAvoy had the best opportunity for Boston, but his open-net rebound chance was foiled by Raddysh, who tied him up enough to prevent the puck from entering the net. The officials had to halt play during a Boston power play to sort out a time discrepancy when the game and penalty clocks momentarily stopped.
Boston controlled the opening 12 minutes of the second period and took a 1-0 lead when Casey Mittlestadt scored from the slot at 6:47. Andrei Vasilevskiy made several difficult saves during that stretch, denying a Viktor Arvidsson breakaway and an in-alone chance for Jordan Harris. The Lightning goaltender also stopped Elias Lindholm’s right-circle power-play shot as the period neared the halfway point.
The Lightning received their first and only power play of the game at 12:16 of the second period, which helped them reverse momentum even though they didn’t score. Jon Cooper mixed up three of his four forward lines during this time, a change he maintained through the rest of the game. The Lightning carried their improved play into the third period and tied the game at 2:13 when Charle-Edouard D’Astous finished a second rebound during a sequence in which Tampa Bay put three consecutive shots on net.
Raddysh broke the tie with under six minutes remaining, skating to the bottom of the right circle and snapping a shot that slipped under Jeremy Swayman’s right arm at 14:29. The goal was Raddysh’s 21st of the season, surpassing the previous franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a single season. The Bruins pressed in the closing minutes but couldn’t tie the game before Kucherov’s empty-netter secured the victory.
The Lightning wrapped up their season-long seven-game homestand with a 5-1-1 record and have gone 8-1-2 since heading out on their four-game Western road trip in the middle of March. That impressive run helped them secure their spot in the postseason for the ninth straight year. Lightning Radio’s Three Stars of the Game, as selected by Phil Esposito, were Raddysh for his game-winning goal and franchise record, Vasilevskiy for his 21 saves, and D’Astous for his tying goal.
The Lightning’s playoff clinching continues their remarkable streak of postseason appearances that began during the 2014-15 season. Tampa Bay has established itself as one of the NHL’s most consistent franchises over the past decade, reaching the Stanley Cup Final three times and winning championships in 2020 and 2021. The team’s ability to maintain excellence despite roster changes and salary cap constraints has made them a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference.
Tampa Bay will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for their playoff run, with the team showing strong form at the right time of year. The Lightning’s next game will complete their homestand as they continue to fine-tune their play heading into the postseason.