Hagel scores twice as Lightning beat Blue Jackets 3-1 for 5th win in 6 games

In a thrilling 3-1 victory on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning claimed their second win in two nights and their fifth of their last six games. Brandon Hagel was the star of the show, registering two goals and an assist. Jake Guentzel added an assist, while Nikita Kucherov contributed two assists following his impressive natural hat trick in a 8-3 win earlier that night in Buffalo.

Dennis Hildeby made 28 saves for Tampa Bay, becoming one of only two goalies in Lightning history to have a point in each of their first five starts with the team, joining Sean Burke. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, have lost three straight games, with Matthew Knies scoring his first since opening night and ending a 15-game goal drought.

Jet Greaves stopped 25 shots for Columbus, while Hagel put Tampa Bay ahead early in the first period. Kucherov's assist was his 16th against Columbus since early February, extending his points streak against the Blue Jackets to eight games. In a dramatic moment, Knies pulled Columbus even with a power-play goal in the final minutes of the first period, sparking a pair of fights.

The Lightning initially took the lead in the second period before Hagel's goal was disallowed for a high stick. Guentzel then scored the decisive goal late in the third period, and Hagel added the game-winning goal at 7:41, his fifth in three games. Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return.

Looking ahead, the Lightning will host Detroit on Saturday, while the Blue Jackets will face Philadelphia on the same day.