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Lightning Rally Past Mammoth for Fifth Straight Win
Nov 2, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) celebrates scoring a goal against the Utah Mammoth during the second period with center Jake Guentzel (59) and defenseman Victor Hedman (77) at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Lightning Rally Past Mammoth for Fifth Straight Win

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI  |  By Seth Dowdle  |  Last updated Nov 2, 2025 6:52 PM ET

After starting the season 1-4-2, the Tampa Bay Lightning have reeled off five wins in a row, the latest being a 4-2 victory over the surging Utah Mammoth.

Tampa Bay was resilient all afternoon as the young Mammoth continuously made life difficult. Still, the Lightning, under the stout leadership of head coach Jon Cooper, took care of business and started what was the first game of a three-game Western Conference road trip that will take the team to Denver and Las Vegas on the right foot.

An Evenly Matched Game Goes Tampa Bay’s Way

It was clear from the opening faceoff that this was going to be a game won on the margins. Both sides were fighting for every inch of ice, and goals weren’t going to come easily.

Utah opened the scoring after it forced a turnover in its defensive zone, which allowed Lawson Crouse to skate free on a breakaway. He wound up winning the one-on-one battle with Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson, beating his blocker and giving the Mammoth a 1-0 advantage early on.

The Lightning weren’t having any of that, though. Ten minutes later, Yanni Gourde slipped a puck through the back door after an incredible sequence. Tampa Bay killed off a penalty, took control of the puck, and pushed into the offensive zone. Zemgus Girgensons dropped it off to Gourde, who sent it to Emil Lilleberg, who fired a perfect pass back to Gourde for a stunning goal that silenced the Utah crowd.

Tampa Bay took its first lead early in the second period when Anthony Cirelli went bar down after assists from Jake Guentzel and Victor Hedman. Cirelli’s been a catalyst for the Lightning all year, as through 12 games he’s netted seven goals and totaled 11 points.

The Mammoth weren’t going to go down without a fight, though, as Kailer Yamamoto became the second Yamamoto in as many days to come up clutch for his team in a big moment when he snuck behind the Lightning defense and unfurled a snapshot that tied the game at two apiece.

Jake Guentzel Wins It for the Lightning

The rest of the third period was a war. Neither side was giving up ground, and it wasn’t until there were less than eight minutes to go that somebody broke through.

As he’s done throughout his illustrious hockey career, Jake Guentzel came up with the big play when his team needed him most. Guentzel took the puck around the Mammoth net, patiently biding his time and waiting for his moment. Once he saw his opening, he struck. He scored, and the Lightning led 3-2.

Despite pulling the goalie and adding an extra attacker, the Mammoth weren’t able to find an equalizer. Instead, Brandon Hagel put one into the empty net to give the Lightning a 4-2 win.

Lightning and Mammoth Both Have Championship Aspirations

Despite the slow start, Tampa Bay’s goals remain the same as they’ve always been under Cooper: win the Stanley Cup. The same goes for the Mammoth, albeit without the history of success that the Lightning have. But with an 8-4 record, Utah is in a good spot so long as it gets off the schneid after this disappointing defeat.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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