When the Tampa Bay Lightning returned from the NHL's 2025 holiday break in time for their game on Dec. 27, head coach Jon Cooper unveiled a new look in the team’s forward group.
Gage Goncalves, the 24-year-old winger and the team’s second-round pick from the 2020 NHL Draft, was elevated to the top offensive trio to play alongside center Brayden Point and top scorer Nikita Kucherov.
On Saturday, fans saw just the latest example of what’s proven to be a fruitful move, one that has benefited all three players and the team as a whole. Goncalves finished the night with two goals to help Tampa Bay to a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at XFinity Mobile Arena.
“He’s such a skilled player and he sees the game so well,” Point said of Goncalves. “I think this last little stretch you can see he’s getting more confident with the puck and confident holding onto it…just taking it yourself and making a play yourself. When he’s doing that, it’s great for our line and great for our team.”
Point fed Kucherov for two goals in the opening 6 minutes, 5 seconds of game time in Saturday’s win over the Flyers, one that pushed the team’s win streak to an NHL-best nine consecutive games.
While he wasn’t on the scoresheet for either of the opening goals against Philadelphia, Goncalves found his way onto the scorer’s table at a key moment in the game—with the visiting Lightning holding a 3-1 lead after two periods, Goncalves extended the lead to 4-1 only 2:03 into the third period on a highlight-reel goal.
Goncalves accepted a pass from Kucherov at the blue line before powering to the goal line, then cutting to the net under a Flyers defenseman’s stick and shelving his shot through Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson.
Goncalves said postgame that the goal was partly the result of grown confidence, something he’s gained in his time playing alongside Kucherov and Point.
“Early on in my career, I probably don’t make that play,” Goncalves said.
“Being with those two guys, you want to get them the puck as much as possible with how skilled and great they are. But we come back to the bench and they’re telling me to hold onto it or try and make plays and ‘When you get a chance to beat a guy, if that’s our play, beat ‘em.’…Them having belief in me just makes my confidence grow even more, and (I’ll) continue to try to have that self belief that I can make plays in this league.”
