Cernak scores on crazy carom late in 3rd period as the Lightning beat the Wild 6-3 - Yahoo Sports

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Cernak scores on crazy carom late in 3rd period as the Lightning beat the Wild 6-3

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) and Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) battle for a loose puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon (46) knocks the puck away from Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon (46) falls down as he chases the puck against Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) celebrates after scoring past Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a glove save on a shot by the Minnesota Wild during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Associated Press

Wed, Mar 25, 2026 ·

2 min read

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Erik Cernak scored a tiebreaking goal with 2:53 left in the third period when Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson misplayed a carom off the end boards and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Wild 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Cernak scored his second of the season after Charle-Edouard D'Astous' pass traveled the length of the ice and bounced off the end boards toward Gustavsson, who failed to control the puck with his glove. The puck went between Gustavsson's legs into the crease and Cernak pounced, sending it into the open net.

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Tampa Bay rallied from a two-goal deficit, scoring three goals in the second period and five unanswered overall over the second and the third to win for the fourth time in five games and fifth time in seven.

Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel also scored, while Brandon Hagel and Pontus Holmberg added an empty-netter goals in the final minutes. Andrei Vasilevskiy had an assist and made 20 saves to win his fourth straight start. Guentzel's goal was his 32nd of the season and the 300th for his career.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist, and Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber also scored for the Wild, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gustavsson stopped 19 of the 23 shots that he faced.

Minnesota jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first and a 3-1 lead in the second before Tampa Bay bounced back. Raddysh and Guentzel scored in approximately a three-minute span of the second to tie the game at 3. Cernak, Hagel and Holmberg completed the scoring in the third for Tampa Bay.

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The Wild had a potential go-ahead goal disallowed with 1:18 left in the second period after Tampa Bay challenged. After a review, it was decided that Raddysh was knocked to the ice and into the crease, prohibiting Vasilevskiy from a possible save.

For Minnesota, Joel Eriksson Ek was back in the lineup after missing three games with lower-body injury and Kirill Kaprizov returned after missing two games, also with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Wild: At the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Lightning: Host the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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