Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec 05, 2025. Final score: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Dec 05, 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 | 0.40 | 2.09 |
| 2nd | Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 0 | 7 | 17:09 | 1.62 | 1.35 |
| 3rd | Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 1 | 10 | 25:28 | 4.80 | 1.19 |
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) | 9.05 | 13.30 |
| 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 | 0.40 | 2.09 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11:21 | 0.00 | 1.18 |
| Ville Koivunen | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12:48 | 0.20 | 0.85 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 17:50 | 1.31 | 0.85 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11:40 | 0.23 | 0.79 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20:03 | 0.26 | 0.64 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 25:29 | 0.55 | 0.44 |
| Connor Clifton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:16 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| Blake Lizotte | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:07 | 0.09 | 0.15 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:43 | 0.15 | 0.15 |
| Rutger McGroarty | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:01 | 0.15 | 0.15 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:05 | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:01 | 0.31 | 0.05 |
| Kevin Hayes | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:58 | 0.29 | 0.05 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:37 | 0.65 | 0.00 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21:30 | 0.14 | -0.15 |
| Ryan Graves | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:40 | 0.16 | -0.20 |
| Bokondji Imama | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5:38 | 0.00 | -0.47 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Hagel | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 17:09 | 1.62 | 1.35 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 25:28 | 4.80 | 1.19 |
| Darren Raddysh | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 27:49 | 2.05 | 1.13 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 26:08 | 0.41 | 0.69 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8:16 | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Nick Paul | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17:24 | 0.36 | 0.64 |
| Yanni Gourde | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:22 | 0.29 | 0.15 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:38 | 0.21 | 0.10 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13:41 | 0.29 | 0.10 |
| Dominic James | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:02 | 0.15 | 0.05 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:40 | 0.18 | 0.00 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:03 | 0.10 | -0.00 |
| Declan Carlile | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:57 | 0.13 | -0.05 |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:24 | 0.62 | -0.05 |
| Emil Lilleberg | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:06 | 0.12 | -0.05 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10:12 | 0.12 | -0.10 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:31 | 1.73 | -0.15 |
| Curtis Douglas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2:33 | 0.14 | -0.42 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tristan Jarry | Pittsburgh Penguins | 37 | 40 | 92.5% | 1.52 | W |
| Jonas Johansson | Tampa Bay Lightning | 27 | 31 | 87.1% | -1.06 | L |
Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–3 on Dec 05, 2025, a one-goal game.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 13.3 expected goals to Pittsburgh Penguins's 9.05 — 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 2.09 on 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal.
Tristan Jarry stopped 37 of 40, worth 1.52 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 05, 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 2.09, on 2G, 1A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 13.3 expected goals and Pittsburgh Penguins generated 9.05, 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.