Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec 04, 2025. Final score: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 04, 2025 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 4 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Evgeni Malkin | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.36 | 2.45 |
| 2nd | Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 0 | 7 | 17:09 | 0.96 | 1.96 |
| 3rd | Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11:21 | 0.00 | 1.48 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Pittsburgh Penguins–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 06:12 | PIT | Ville Koivunen | Kris Letang, Tommy Novak | 4v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 07:53 | PIT | Evgeni Malkin | — | 5v5 | 2–0 |
| 2nd 09:49 | PIT | Ben Kindel | Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin | 4v5 | 3–0 |
| 2nd 18:46 | TBL | Nikita Kucherov | Darren Raddysh, Jake Guentzel | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 01:17 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Nikita Kucherov, Darren Raddysh | 5v4 | 3–2 |
| 3rd 11:44 | TBL | Brandon Hagel | Nick Paul, Gage Goncalves | 5v5 | 3–3 |
| 3rd 17:17 | PIT | Evgeni Malkin | Tommy Novak, Anthony Mantha | 5v5 | 4–3 |
Team Comparison
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 31 | 40 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.64 | 3.69 |
| High-danger shots | 6 | 18 |
| Corsi % | 41.1% | 58.9% |
| Power play | 2/4 | 1/6 |
| Faceoff % | 54.2% | 45.8% |
| Hits | 21 | 13 |
| Blocks | 14 | 4 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 20 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 5 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evgeni Malkin | C | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.36 | 2.45 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11:21 | 0.00 | 1.48 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11:40 | 0.35 | 1.10 |
| Blake Lizotte | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:07 | 0.10 | 0.71 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 17:50 | 0.43 | 0.65 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:03 | 0.07 | 0.60 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 25:29 | 0.17 | 0.60 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:43 | 0.08 | 0.54 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:01 | 0.20 | 0.50 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12:48 | 0.15 | 0.43 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:05 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:16 | 0.00 | 0.17 |
| Bokondji Imama | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:38 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:30 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Kevin Hayes | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.36 | -0.09 |
| Rutger McGroarty | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:01 | 0.02 | -0.11 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:37 | 0.54 | -0.19 |
| Ryan Graves | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:40 | 0.04 | -0.21 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 17:09 | 0.96 | 1.96 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 27:49 | 0.16 | 1.32 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 25:28 | 0.95 | 1.16 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:24 | 0.26 | 0.96 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8:16 | 0.00 | 0.70 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:03 | 0.02 | 0.59 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 26:08 | 0.48 | 0.31 |
| Dominic James | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:02 | 0.16 | 0.13 |
| Emil Lilleberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:06 | 0.07 | 0.05 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:41 | 0.28 | -0.02 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:38 | 0.13 | -0.03 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:24 | 0.27 | -0.03 |
| Curtis Douglas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:33 | 0.01 | -0.05 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:40 | 0.24 | -0.09 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:22 | 0.11 | -0.10 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:31 | 0.34 | -0.28 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:12 | 0.09 | -0.40 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:57 | 0.03 | -0.48 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tristan Jarry | Pittsburgh Penguins | 37 | 40 | 92.5% | 0.69 | W |
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 27 | 31 | 87.1% | -1.36 | L |
Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–3 on Dec 04, 2025, a one-goal game.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.69 expected goals to Pittsburgh Penguins's 2.64 — Tampa Bay Lightning owned the better of the chances but Pittsburgh Penguins took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it.
Evgeni Malkin led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.45 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Tristan Jarry stopped 37 of 40, worth 0.69 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–3 on Dec 04, 2025.
What was the final score?
The final score was Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Evgeni Malkin led all skaters at 2.45, on 2G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.69 expected goals and Pittsburgh Penguins generated 2.64, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Pittsburgh Penguins put 31 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 40. High-danger chances went 6 to 18.