Holmberg’s Four Points Lead Lightning Past Jets

Holmberg scored once and assisted on three goals as the Lightning defeated the Jets 6-4 in Tampa on October 29. The win extended Tampa Bay’s home record to 6-0, tying a franchise mark for the start of a season.

Hagel found the net, and Cirelli also scored; both players added two assists. Brayden Point, John Carlson and Conor Geekie also scored, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 17 saves. Neil Pionk scored twice for Winnipeg, with Kyle Connor and Dylan Samberg adding goals. Mark Scheifele had three assists.

After Point and Pionk traded first-period goals, Tampa Bay scored four times in the second. Geekie opened the surge, followed by Cirelli’s power-play goal, Carlson’s tally and Hagel’s goal with 56 seconds left in the period. The Lightning finished 1-for-3 on the power play and killed all of Winnipeg’s chances.

The Jets scored three times in the third, including goals from Samberg, Pionk and Connor, cutting Tampa Bay’s lead to one. Holmberg sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:33 remaining. Stuart Skinner conceded five goals on 21 shots before Nico Daws took over for the third period; Daws made nine saves in his Winnipeg debut.

Winnipeg has gone seven games without a win, including three consecutive regulation defeats after dealing goalie Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils. The Jets visit Florida on October 30. Tampa Bay visits Nashville on October 31.