Guentzel Scores Twice, Leads Lightning Rally Against Hurricanes
- Mike Smith
- Dec 21, 2025
- 3 min read
By Mike Smith | Thunderstruck Sports
Jake Guentzel scored twice as the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes, 6-4, Saturday night at Benchmark International Arena. Ryan McDonagh added two points as the Bolts erased a three-goal lead mounted by Carolina.
The comeback by Tampa Bay was the second game in a row that the Hurricanes had given up a three-goal lead and lost. The win broke a four-game home losing streak for the Bolts.
Carolina started the game with a blistering attack that led to two goals in the first four minutes. Eric Robinson and Jackson Blake scored within 1:18 of one another as the Lightning struggled defensively.
Carolina zipped through the Lightning's defensive zone with ease as they scored twice on the power play. Bradley Nadeau added the third goal at 12:27 after Jake Finley was given a double-minor penalty for high-sticking.
Lightning Rally in the Second Period
Whatever conversation was held in the locker room translated into results in the second period. Gage Concalves scored 30 seconds into the period when he snapped a Dominic James feed past Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov.
"There's a lot of accountability on this team," Ryan McDonagh said afterwards. "A lot of guys speaking up in that room after that first period."
"We were embarrassed. You feed off that first shift (of the second period, which led to the Goncalves goal). Obviously, they score a goal, and they set the tone right away for us."
Brayden Point scored 50 seconds later when he tipped in a shot by Charle-Edouard D'Astous. Jake Finley would tie the game at three on a breakaway when he collected his own rebound after an initial save by Kochetkov.
"The first period wasn't great, but I thought in the second we came out hard and stuck with it in the third," Finley added. "That just shows the character in the room. (Dominic) Jame was driving our line all night. It was a team effort."
McDonagh and Guentzel Control the Third
Carolina retook control of the game when Andrei Svechnikov scored on a 2-on-1 2:47 into the third period to make it 4-3.
However, the Lightning would tie the game moments later when McDonagh would split two defenders and slip the puck between Kochetkov's legs into the goal.
"I don't know what that was," McDonagh quipped. "Some people call it luck. I like to call it, well, luck, I guess. So what?"
"That might have been the biggest goal that got scored," head coach Jon Cooper said. "Because we fight all the way back from down three and then, we give it up. Now, it's like 'Are we going to be able to do it again?'"
"It was less than 30 seconds after to bring us back to 4-4. The pity party hasn't started yet, so he nipped that right in the bud. Then, we had a good chance to go out and win a game."
Guentzel scored the game-winning goal at 6:38 with a backhanded goal off a J.J. Moser feed from the blue line. Guentzel added an empty net goal with time winding down to secure the 6-4 comeback win.
"You basically saw a formula of how to lose a hockey game and how to win a hockey game all in the span of two hours and 15 minutes," Cooper said.
"It was a good 40-minute game," McDonagh added. "We're trying to get closer to a 60-minute game here at home."
"But obviously a good response in the end!"
Three Stars of the Game
Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay. Two goals, including the game-winner.
Dominic James, Tampa Bay. Two key assists.
Ryan McDonagh, Tampa Bay. A goal that brought Tampa Bay back into contention and an assist at the end.
Up Next
The Tampa Bay Lightning wrap up a four-game homestand against the St. Louis Blues Monday night at Benchmark International Arena. Puck drop is at 7 pm.
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