ST. PAUL, Minn. — Darren Raddysh emerged as an unexpected hero for the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring twice in their convincing 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday. The 27-year-old defenseman, who had scored just once in his previous 60 career games, played a crucial role in Tampa Bay’s triumph.
Raddysh’s performance was a welcome boost for the Lightning (19-16-5), who have been seeking more offensive contributions from their defensemen. “We’ve been kind of struggling to get goals on the back end, and to get two tonight, that was awesome,” Raddysh said. Tampa Bay’s coach Jon Cooper echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the team’s need to generate more offense from the defense.
Victor Hedman and Brandon Hagel also found the net for the Lightning, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves, securing the team’s second win in three games.
For the Wild (16-17-4), Zach Bogosian scored their lone goal. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury, one win away from tying Patrick Roy for second in NHL history, made 26 saves. The loss extends Minnesota’s losing streak to four games.
Wild coach John Hynes pinpointed the team’s execution, particularly in transitioning from defense to offense, as a key area of concern. “That’s really when you can beat that initial part of the forecheck,” Hynes said, stressing the need for improved execution to facilitate a faster and more attacking style of play.
Raddysh’s goals, including a wraparound, set the tone for the Lightning. Hedman then added a power-play goal early in the third period, extending the lead to 3-0. Despite Bogosian’s effort to spark a comeback for the Wild, Hagel’s empty-netter sealed the 4-1 final score for Tampa Bay.
Reflecting on the game, Bogosian acknowledged the challenge of facing a seasoned team like the Lightning, “They’re obviously a good veteran team that is good at controlling leads.”
In other notes, Lightning defenseman Declan Carlile made his NHL debut, and forward Nikita Kucherov, recently named to the All-Star Game, added an assist to his impressive season tally. Injured Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov was also named to the All-Star Game.
The win for Tampa Bay underscores their depth and resilience, while Minnesota will look to regroup and snap their losing streak in upcoming games.
UP NEXT
The Lightning look to build on this victory, while the Wild aim to address their issues and return to winning ways. The Wild’s next challenge comes against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
