Tampa Bay Lightning's Late Surge Falls Short Against Pittsburgh Penguins

The Tampa Bay Lightning faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a closely contested game at Benchmark International Arena. The Bolts, with a record of 16-9-2, were unable to overcome the Pens, who improved their standing to 14-7-5. The final score was 4-3 in favor of the visitors.

First Period

The opening period saw both teams testing each other's defenses but it was the Penguins who struck first. Despite having more shots on goal, the Lightning couldn't find the back of the net. The Pens capitalized on their opportunities and took an early lead with Evgeni Malkin making his presence felt.

Second Period

In the second period, Tampa Bay managed to get on board with a powerplay goal from Nikita Kucherov. However, Pittsburgh responded swiftly with two goals of their own during this period, extending their lead and putting pressure back on Tampa Bay's defense.

Third Period

The third period witnessed a spirited comeback attempt by the Bolts. Brandon Hagel scored twice for Tampa Bay as they tried to close down Pittsburgh’s lead. Despite outshooting their opponents 40 to 31 throughout the game and dominating puck possession late into playtime, they fell short by one goal as time expired.

In terms of individual performances for Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins full match report: Jonas Johansson made significant contributions in goal with 27 saves while Kucherov continued his impressive form adding another assist alongside his earlier tally.

For those interested in more details about this matchup including player stats or tactical breakdowns can refer back here for our comprehensive coverage under "Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins match summary".

Looking ahead: Fans should mark December 6th at Benchmark International Arena when Bolts will host New York Islanders starting at 7:00 PM EDT available live via ESPN+, The Spot TV network along MSGSN broadcast channels respectively!

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