Friday, 4 a.m.
Around him, his fellow stars are missing. Still, he remains the most solid of Lightning players, the one you can count on the most.
Thursday night, at Amalie Arena, Victor Hedman owned the joint.
Hedman, who logs the most ice time for the Lightning, helped his team break a 2-2 tie to win a 4-2 decision over the St. Louis Blues. Hedman scored both goals, 2:20 apart, to make sure the Bolts won the night.
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He has been a star with the Lightning for a long time. Fans have seen him grow up from a spindly kid to one of the most honored defensemen in the NHL. They've seen him win a Norris, a Conn Smythe and two Stanley Cups. He's made five all-star teams.
But how often have you ever seen him ticked?
“Good for Vic," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. "I'm not sure he’s been completely happy with his game the last few. For him to break out and put a stamp on this one was good. Clearly, it wasn’t a penalty. It’s great to see him do what he did there. He’s really been working at his game."
Hedman, for the record, said that "angry wasn't the right word." He played like it, however.
Hedman was in the penalty box for a high-sticking call he argued when the Blues tied the game at 2-2. He admitted that "put a fire under me." He then scored the game-winning, and the game-clinching goals after that.
It was his 20th game-winning goal.
Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli also scored for the Bolts.
The Bolts now begin a five-game road trip in seven days, starting Saturday night in Boston. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m.