Cirellis Hat Trick Powers Lightning to 6-3 Win Over Penguins

Tampa, Fla. Anthony Cirelli scored his second career hat trick to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, propelling the Lightning into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Cirelli netted Tampa Bay's first two goals and sealed his milestone performance with an empty-net goal late in the third period, marking his first hat trick since January 17, 2020. Nikita Kucherov contributed a goal and three assists, while Zemgus Girgensons tallied his 100th career goal and Brayden Point added his second tally in 14 games. Jake Guentzel and Gage Goncalves each recorded two assists, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves in the win. The Lightning, who improved to 7-1-2 over their last 10 games, capitalized on a fast-paced matchup to pull ahead in the standings.

For Pittsburgh, Egor Chinakhov scored twice, and Rickard Rakell added a goal. Defensemen Sam Girard and Kris Letang each had two assists, with goaltender Stuart Skinner stopping 27 shots. The Penguins held firm in second place in the Metropolitan Division, maintaining a three-point lead over the New York Islanders despite the loss.

The game began with an early exchange in...