Lightning Surge with Key Players

0:00It's March 30th. This is NHL News today, AI-powered updates on your team. I'm Corey, with the story. The Tampa Bay Lightning hit a rough patch after the Olympic break, dropping seven of their first ten games back. But they flipped the script lately, ripping off six wins, no losses, and two ties in their last eight outings. That surge has been tied with the Buffalo Sabers at 98 points atop the Atlantic Division, and they've got a game in hand to boot. They're holding off the Montreal Canadiens, too. Even as Montreal stacks up a five-game win streak. This hot run keeps Tampa in prime position, with just two weeks left in the regular season, chasing that top seed and homie's edge for the playoffs. Fans and analysts are buzzing about the key guys driving this turnaround. Darren Radish has been a beast on defense in the power play, notching three goals and eleven assists over seventeen games. His breakout year in a contract season makes him a steal at under a million bucks, boosting his trade value big time.

1:00Brandon Hagle, fresh off-reping Canada in the Olympics, is averaging over a point of game with eight goals and eleven assists in eighteen contests. He's eyeing a new career high in goals at thirty-six, while chipping in defensively with blocks and takeaways. And Nikita Kutcherov, the heart-srophy front runners on fire with eleven goals, nineteen assists and thirty points in sixteen games, nearly two points a night. With Victor Hadman's sideline for personal reasons and Kutcherov just shaking off an illness, these stars are primed to carry the load down the stretch. Setting Tampa up for a deep playoff run if they keep the momentum rolling.