In an 82-game season, a team will have to find many different ways to win. Some will come on the back of dazzling offensive play, some by luck, some by a heroic goaltending effort, and some by a staunch defensive effort aided by goals from unlikely contributors. Tonight was such a game. The Lightning beat the Nashville Predators, 5-2, with Zemgus Girgensons scoring twice and Charle-Edouard D’Astous finding the back of the net for the first time in his NHL career.
Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his second win of the season with 18 saves on 20 shots. Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Pontus Holmberg and Brandon Hagel joined Girgensons with two-point nights. Despite an 0-for-4 night on the power play, the Lightning dominated in scoring chances (29-16) and high-danger chances (12-7) on their way to victory.
First Period:
The sum was greater than the components over the first 20 minutes of the game as the Lightning offense had solid zone time, but struggled at times, especially on the power play, to convert that territorial advantage to shots on goal. They did finish with 11 shots on 20 attempts, but there were periods where they opted to shunt the puck away from shooting areas in hopes of connecting two or three more passes.
They did have one line that decided it would be best to barrel down the ice and directly at Juuse Saros. It happened to be their fourth line and it was Zemgus Girgensons busting down the slot like a Hot Wheels car shot out of the track launcher.
Zemgus Girgensons (1) [Pontus Holmberg, Yanni Gourde) 1-0 Lightning
"GIRGENSONSSS!!!!!" BIG Z opens the scoring for his first of the season! #TBLvsNSH 🎧: boltsaud.io/live 📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 8:21 PM
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Pontus Holmberg spied him and put the puck where it needed to be for Girgensons to lift it into the back of the net. Good hard work in the zone paid off with a goal. The type of work generated 10 scoring chances, but just one goal.
Defensively, the team was solid, especially after taking an early season penalty. They held the Predators to just two even-strength scoring chances and pushed most of the shots to the outside. Vasilevskiy was sharp, and J.J. Moser had a really nice break-up of an odd-skater rush.
Second Period
For the majority of the middle frame, both teams looked like squads that are struggling to score. They had the right intentions, but passes hit skates or sticks, and shots hit posts (Victor Hedman picked the corner a little too literally on a second-wave rush). They, they being the Lightning, also added to their own woes by opting to pass instead of shooting (J.J. Moser).
Still, for the road team, the sloppiness played in their favor as they spent most of the period muddling around in Nashville’s zone until they earned a late-period power play. Despite the skater advantage, it was Nashville who earned the best chance as Erik Haula had a wide open, shot-handed chance that an underworked Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside with confidence.
As the power play time faded, the second unit, sporting rookies Dominic James and Charle-Edouard D’Astous, fought their way to some chances. Spencer Stastney had barely returned to the ice from the box when Brandon Hagel swatted a puck home for his second goal in as many games.
Brandon Hagel (2) [Anthony Cirelli], 2-0 Lightning
"SCORREEE!!! FINALLY!!! HAGEL!" The Lightning dominate the 2nd period and get rewarded! Cirelli notches his 300th point with the assist! 🍎🍎 #TBLvsNSH 🎧: boltsaud.io/live 📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 9:32 PM
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With the assist, Anthony Cirelli hit the 300 point mark for his career. It was another solid defensive effort as they held Nashville to one high-danger chance at 5v5 during the period. Overall, the Bolts took a 22-9 lead in scoring chances into the third period.
Third Period
Neither team has fancied playing with multi-goal leads or deficits this season, so it was a foregone conclusion that Nashville would score the next goal. Aided by a couple of penalties drawn with by their most sustained pressure of the night, they finally pushed a puck at the net and past Vasilevskiy.
Luke Evangalista, with Cirelli’s stick fished around his hands was able to snap a feed past the Lightning goaltender to make it 2-1 early in the period.
Luke Evangelista (1) [Erik Haula, Brady Skjei] Power play, 2-1 Lightning
Power play goal for Nashville! Scored by Luke Evangelista with 14:55 remaining in the 3rd period. Assisted by Erik Haula and Brady Skjei. Nashville: 1 Tampa Bay: 2 #TBLvsNSH #Smashville #GoBolts
— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 10:05 PM
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It was a rough start to the period for the Lightning, but after the goal, they started to get back into Nashville’s zone and got back to playing their best defense 170 feet away from their net. It would lead to them restoring their two-goal cushion, and it came from an unlikely source – first-year defender Charle-Edouard D’Astous.
Much like Girgensons in the first period, the not-so-young-but not-as-old-Jim-Morris rookie tore up the ice to take a feed from Brayden Point. He didn’t look to dish, instead ripped a shot from the slot that Saros never had a chance to stop.
Charle-Edouard D’Astous [1] (Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov) 3-1 Lightning
"D'ASTOUS!!! D'ASTOUS!!! THE 1ST NHL GOAL FOR CHARLE-ÉDOUARD D'ASTOUS!!!" A memorable snipe from D'Astous! #TBLvsNSH 🎧: boltsaud.io/live 📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 10:16 PM
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The clock became the Lightning’s biggest help following the goal. Nashville had an opportunity on the power play, but the Bolt’s killed it off fairly easily. Time continued to tick away which forced Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette to take a chance. After Moser and Filip Forsberg were sent to the penalty box for aggressive hugging, Brunette pulled Saros with just under four minutes to play.
The Lightning held the fort and Cirelli had a chance to ice it, but at the end of his shift, and harassed by old friend Steven Stamkos, his volley at the net went wide. The Predators were still in it, and as the penalties expired as a fortuitous moment. Forsberg was out of the box and went to the side of the net where a rebound found him. He knifed a shot past Victor Hedman and a lunging Vasilevsky to make it 3-2.
Filip Forsberg [4] (Luke Evangelista, Erik Haula) 6-on-5, 3-2 Lightning
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There was still two minutes to play, but despite the wobble, the Lightning didn’t fall down. With another chance at the empty net, Nikita Kucherov ended it as he skated it in from the blue line unmarked.
Nikita Kucherov [4] (Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli) Empty Net, 4-2 Lightning
"KUCHEROV!!! DAGGER!!!" 🗡️ Kuch grabs the empty netter for insurance! #TBLvsNSH 🎧: boltsaud.io/live 📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM
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With less than a minute to play, and a two-goal lead, the Lightning could have taken the rest of the game easy, but that’s not the way Yanni Gourde and his linemates play. Pontus Holmberg drove the net and Girgensons was there to almost sheepishly tap the puck into the net for his second goal of the game (matching his season total from last season).
Zemgus Girgensons [2] (Pontus Holmberg, Erik Cernak)
"SCORE ON THE REBOUND, GIRGENSONS!!!" ALL ABOARD! 🚂 Another goal for Girgy to finish things off! #TBLvsNSH 🎧: boltsaud.io/live 📻: 102.5 The Bone
— Lightning Audio Network (@boltsradio.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 10:45 PM
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The Lightning made their short trip to Nashville worthwhile as they picked up two points. A solid defensive effort manifested five goals, four of which came at even strength. Yes, Nashville is a team that struggles to score, but Tampa Bay yet again found a way to win instead of giving it away.
