SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jake Guentzel snapped a tie in the third period, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday. The win marked Tampa Bay’s fifth consecutive victory.
Yanni Gourde, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning. Jonas Johansson made 25 saves in the game, while Cirelli notched his team-high seventh goal of the season.
For Utah, Lawson Crouse and Kailer Yamamoto found the back of the net. The Mammoth dropped a home game for the first time this season, having opened with four straight wins in Salt Lake City. Ian Cole contributed two assists, and goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 22 shots. Utah had scored at least three goals in eight consecutive games prior to this matchup.
The Mammoth jumped ahead early, 5:55 into the first period, when Crouse scored on a breakaway. Tampa Bay answered back with 4:43 left in the period, as Gourde capitalized on a series of precision passes, finishing with an easy tap-in after drawing Vejmelka out of position.
In the second period, Cirelli extended the Lightning’s lead at 2:47, beating Vejmelka from just outside the face-off circle. Yamamoto then scored his first goal of the season 2:21 into the third to bring Utah back into the game.
However, Tampa Bay quickly responded with Guentzel’s unassisted goal at 7:54 remaining. Guentzel attacked from behind and snapped the puck in from close range for the game-winning score. Hagel sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 16 seconds left.
**Up next:**
– Lightning: At Colorado on Tuesday night.
– Mammoth: At Buffalo on Tuesday night.
https://mymotherlode.com/sports/hockey-game-stories/10136228/guentzel-scores-in-the-3rd-period-as-the-lightning-beat-the-mammoth-4-2-for-their-5th-straight-win.html