LAS VEGAS (SNN-TV) – Steven Stamkos rallied the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, last night in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break.
Gabriel Fortier, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Anthony Cirelli also scored for the Lightning, who played without coach Jon Cooper and trailed 3-1 late in the second.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves as the Lightning won their third straight and ended Vegas’ five-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay was without Cooper, who entered the protocol roughly two hours before warm ups. Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde filled in for Cooper.
This was the only NHL game played Tuesday night after nine others were postponed because of coronavirus concerns.
The league will begin its annual Christmas break Wednesday, two days earlier than originally planned, due to a startling rise in COVID-19 cases that shut down 10 of the 32 teams.
Tampa Bay hosts Montreal in its first game back from the holiday break on Tuesday, the 28th.
