Kucherov's OT Winner Keeps Lightning's Home Ice Hopes Alive

Tampa Bay rallies from early deficit to defeat Detroit 4-3 in overtime thriller

Apr. 14, 2026 at 2:49am

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An abstract, expressionist painting in vibrant neon colors capturing the raw energy and drama of a hockey overtime finish, with players' forms dissolving into energetic brushstrokes and splatters of paint.Nikita Kucherov's overtime heroics keep the Lightning's playoff home ice hopes alive in a thrilling comeback victory over the Red Wings.Today in Tampa

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 1-0 deficit, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead, but the Detroit Red Wings battled back to tie the game late in the third period. In overtime, Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winning goal just 27 seconds into the extra period to give the Lightning a critical 4-3 victory and keep their hopes of securing home ice advantage in the playoffs alive.

Why it matters

The win keeps the Lightning in the hunt for second place in the Atlantic Division, which would give them home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay and the Montreal Canadiens are tied with one game remaining, setting up a high-stakes finale for both teams.

The details

The Red Wings struck first with a goal from David Perron, but the Lightning responded with three unanswered goals from Conor Geekie, Erik Cernak, and Jake Guentzel to take a 3-1 lead. Detroit battled back in the third period, with Marco Kasper and a late goal from Alex DeBrincat tying the game 3-3. In overtime, Kucherov scored the game-winner off a feed from Guentzel just 27 seconds into the extra period.

  • The game was played on Monday, April 14, 2026.
  • Kucherov scored the game-winning goal just 27 seconds into overtime.

The players

Nikita Kucherov

A star forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning who scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

Brayden Point

A Lightning forward who assisted on Kucherov's game-winning goal in overtime.

Patrick Kane

A veteran forward for the Detroit Red Wings who recorded his 1,400th career point with an assist on the game-tying goal.

Alex DeBrincat

A Red Wings forward who scored the game-tying goal late in the third period.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The Lightning's starting goaltender who made 27 saves to earn the win.

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What’s next

The Lightning will close out the regular season on Wednesday, April 16th at home against the New York Rangers. A win would secure second place in the Atlantic Division and home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The takeaway

This thrilling overtime victory keeps the Lightning's hopes of securing home ice advantage in the playoffs alive, setting up a high-stakes regular season finale against the Rangers. Kucherov's heroics further cement his case for MVP, while the Red Wings' late comeback led by veteran Patrick Kane showcased the team's resilience.