Saturday, February 9, 2019 07:00 PM (ET)

Lightning stop skid, worsen Penguins' with 5-4 win

Field Level Media
Feb 9, 2019

Third-period goals by Tyler Johnson and J.T. Miller lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 Saturday.

Johnson scored at 4:54 and Miller at 14:03, each from the left circle, to help the Lightning pick up their 40th win -- the sixth straight season with 40-plus victories for the franchise.

Anthony Cirelli had a goal and an assist, Yanni Gourde and Erik Cernak also scored while Alex Killorn had two assists for Tampa Bay, which avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season.

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 Penguins shots.

Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist while Garrett Wilson, Jared McCann and Tanner Pearson also scored for Pittsburgh, which lost its fourth straight.

Casey DeSmith made 29 saves for the Penguins, who erased a two-goal deficit in the second period.

Wilson opened the scoring with his first NHL goal. His one-timer finished off a two-on-one with Teddy Blueger at 13:36 of the first.

Tampa Bay tied it less than 90 seconds later. On a two-on-none, Gourde converted a pass from Brayden Point. Victor Hedman picked up his 400th career assist.

Cernak scored 57 seconds later when his shot from the right point went off the stick of the Penguins' Patric Hornqvist and skipped high past DeSmith to make it 2-1.

The Lightning made it 3-1 at 7:42 of the second as Cirelli moved into a tie for the league lead with his fourth shorthanded goal. The Penguins, who gave up their NHL-high 12th shortie, turned the puck over on Phil Kessel's errant pass for Sidney Crosby, and Cirelli finished at the other end off a two-on-one.

McCann, with his second goal in as many games, brought Pittsburgh to within 3-2 at 8:31 of the second. His shot from the left circle hit a defender's stick on its way past Vasilevskiy.

Rust tied it at 15:04 of the second as Jake Guentzel dazzled with puck control behind the net, then used a wraparound move at the left post to get the puck to the far post, where Rust swiped it in.

After Johnson and Miller scored, Pearson scored from the slot with 4:38 left to make it a one-goal game.

--Field Level Media

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