Lightning Defeat Penguins 6-1 Behind Cirelli's Milestone

The Tampa Bay Lightning achieved a decisive 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, highlighted by Anthony Cirelli's two goals in his 500th NHL game. The Lightning dominated the first period, scoring four goals in just over three minutes, with Nikita Kucherov contributing a goal and two assists to reach the 100-point mark for the season. Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was pulled after allowing four goals on seven shots, with Bryan Rust scoring the lone goal for Pittsburgh. Cirelli's recent performance has been strong, adding to his total of 52 points this season, while Sidney Crosby continues to chase a historic 20th consecutive season averaging a point-per-game. The Lightning, now 41-25-5, will face the Utah Hockey Club next, aiming to maintain their momentum. This game was marked by a significant injury to Kucherov, but he returned to contribute to the team's scoring.