Lightning beat Sharks, sweep through California with 7th straight win

Eduardo A. Encina, Tampa Bay Times on Jan 3, 2026

Published in Hockey

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If those West Coast road trips are supposed to be tough, the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t show it this week. They weren’t affected by the three-hour time difference, and they ended their three-game, four-day trip through California with more hop in their step than they began it.

Led by defenseman Darren Raddysh’s first career hat trick and a five-point game from right wing Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning completed an impressive road-trip sweep Saturday afternoon in San Jose, thumping the Sharks 7-3 at SAP Center,

The Lightning headed back east as the league’s hottest team, their seven-game winning streak the longest in the NHL.

At the official midpoint of the regular season, the Lightning (25-13-3) lead the Atlantic Division in points (53) and point percentage (.646), and their road record of 14-4-3 is good for the best road point percentage in the Eastern Conference (.738).

Raddysh’s remarkable redemption story reached a peak Saturday, as he became the third Lightning defenseman to record a hat trick, joining Dan Boyle (Dec. 23, 2006) and Doug Crossman (Nov. 7, 1992).

A healthy scratch early in the season, Raddysh’s 12 goals are tied with reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar of Colorado for third among NHL defensemen.

Two of Raddysh’s goals came on a power play that scored three times on rocket one-timer shots from the center point that cleared traffic and found the back of the net.

Kucherov had the primary assist on all three of Raddysh’s goals, and added his team-high 20th goal of the season. Kucherov has had six straight games with multiple points and has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) over that stretch.

On the trip — the Lightning won both sides of a back-to-back in Anaheim and Los Angeles before playing San Jose — Tampa Bay outscored its opponents 16-9.

The Lightning took control quickly, running out to a 3-0 lead in the first 6:46, opening with Brayden Point’s fourth goal in his last four games at 2:37.

Kucherov then circled behind the net and found Raddysh skating downhill for a shot from the right circle that made it 2-0. Brandon Hagel finished off a 3-on-2 rush to chase Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from the game.

Sharks left wing Pavol Regenda had his first career hat trick in a losing cause.

With the outcome well in hand, the game became physical in the second period after San Jose sought retribution for Tampa Bay defenseman J.J. Moser’s hit on Sharks star Macklin Celebrini. Enforcer Ryan Reaves zeroed in on Moser, boarding him and trying to instigate a fight.

Moser’s teammates came to his aid, and moments later the play ended with three players in each penalty box and Hagel jawing across them at Reaves and Sharks and former Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow.

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