Ilya Mikheyev and Pontus Holmberg lead Lightning to win over Flyers

Eduardo A. Encina, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 5, 2026

Published in Hockey

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TAMPA, Fla. — Their flat season-opening performance in the past, the Tampa Bay Lightning have quickly gotten into the rhythm of the regular season. Playing for the third time in five days Monday, the Lightning won their second straight game, 4-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers at Benchmark International Arena.

A 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup proved successful again, as the Lightning (2-1-0) followed a familiar recipe. For the second straight game, they took an early two-goal lead and held it with strong defense down the stretch.

Forward Ilya Mikheyev set up Pontus Holmberg’s game-winner early in the second period and added an insurance goal of his own late in the third.

Top-line center Brayden Point, who had been quiet in the first two games, opened the scoring with his first goal of the season with 3:55 left in the first.

Point, who had just one 5-on-5 shot on goal in the first two games, won an offensive-zone faceoff from the right dot and skated toward the front of the net. From there, he deflected defenseman John Carlson’s puck on net from the right point past Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar.

Holmberg extended the lead to 2-0 just 17 seconds into the second period. He was stride for stride with Mikheyev on the rush as Zemgus Girgensons saucered a pass to Mikheyev through the neutral zone. Mikheyev fed Holmberg above the right circle, and Holmberg scored top shelf on a wrister.

The Flyers cut their deficit to 2-1 at 7:22 of the second after the Lightning were unable to clear the puck out of their end. Tyson Foerster’s seeing-eye shot from the top of the left circle deflected off Lightning defenseman Charle-Edoaurd D’Astous past goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Defenseman Max Crozier filled the net in the third period with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle, but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference on Brandon Hagel.

After the Lightning killed off a Hagel elbowing penalty late in the third, Mikheyev scored with three minutes left. He took a cross-crease pass from Holmberg off his skate, wrapped around the back of the net and tucked the puck inside the left post.

The Lightning power play continued to struggle, going 0 for 3 to start the season 0 for 13. The man advantage had its chances, creating six scoring chances, but couldn’t break through with a goal.

Hagel scored an empty-net goal with 6.4 seconds left to make it 4-1.

Vasilevskiy wasn’t tested often but stopped 13 of 14 shots for his second straight win.

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