Strome scores in OT as Flames strike down Lightning 4-3

By Canadian Press on March 22, 2026.

CALGARY — Ryan Strome scored 26 seconds into overtime on Sunday night as the Calgary Flames made it three straight wins with a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Victor Olofsson, Morgan Frost, with his team-leading 17th, and Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary (29-34-7), which improved to 5-4-0 since the NHL trade deadline. The Flames’ last three-game winning streak ran from Dec. 27 to 31.

Ryan McDonagh, Darren Raddysh and Pontus Holmberg scored for Tampa Bay (43-21-5), which had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Lightning entered the night four points back of Buffalo for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres lost 6-5 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.

Devin Cooley got the win in net, making 32 saves to improve to 9-9-4.

Jonas Johansson had 25 stops for the Bolts. He falls to 10-10-1.

Key in the victory was containing the visitor’s high-flying top line of NHL leading scorer, Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, who entered the game with 28 points in the previous three games with Kucherov leading the way with 12 points (six goals, six assists).

Kucherov was the only one to hit the scoresheet, assisting on Raddysh’s second-period goal. Hagel (two goals, six assists) and Cirelli (four goals, four assists) had their three-game streaks halted.

Down 1-0 early, the Flames surged in front late in the first period on goals 27 seconds apart from Olofsson and Frost. They never trailed from that point.

TAKEAWAYS

Lightning: Coach Jon Cooper went with the same lineup that beat the Oilers 5-2 on Saturday in Edmonton, meaning captain Victor Hedman (illness) missed his second straight game. Tampa Bay improved to 12-2-0 against the Pacific Division.

Flames: Hometown kid, centre Tyson Gross, made his NHL debut. A Hobey Baker finalist this year, Gross signed with Calgary on March 12th after his season at St. Cloud State came to a conclusion. He had no points and one penalty in 8:07 of ice time. He took the place of Connor Zary (upper body).

KEY MOMENT

Protecting a one-goal lead late in the third, Blake Coleman was knocked off the puck along the end boards in his own end by Yanni Gourde, who quickly sent a pass in front that Holmberg buried to tie the game 3-3, giving the Lightning an important point in their playoff pursuit.

KEY STAT

Kucherov’s streak of five consecutive road games with three-or-more points came to an end. He had been the fourth player to reach that mark joining Mario Lemieux (twice) and Wayne Gretzky.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Flames: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2026.

Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press