Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scorer and passer with Tampa Bay in the NHL

Since his arrival in the NHL in 2014, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has been in charge of defensive tasks in which he excels. But the French veteran of the Tampa Bay Lightning (36) is also a brilliant offensive player, as he showed in the Swedish Championship. The former Rouen player recalled him by signing a goal (his 6th this season) and an assist (the 9th of the season) on Tuesday evening on the ice of New Jersey (6-3 victory).

These two decisive actions were linked in three minutes in the middle of the third period, giving a stunning victory to Tampa Bay, which had been trailing 3-1.

While the two teams were still tied, Bellemare won a face-off in the offensive zone at the start of the action which allowed Victor Hedman to give the advantage to the Lightning with an overpowered strike (3-4, 48th ). Nikita Kucherov immediately widened the gap (3-5, 50th), then Bellemare sealed the success of the Floridians by taking over the puck which was trailing in front of the goal line after a raid from Perry (3-6, 51st).

The Lightning regain the lead in the Atlantic Division

But the Frenchman remembered above all that his team, candidate for a third league title in a row, did well after such a poor start: “We weren’t ready. We were much too slow. We needed a kick in the ass and we finally woke up. But I would put this game in the unacceptable category. »

It is still the ninth victory in the last twelve games for the Lightning, which takes the lead in the Atlantic division ahead of Florida.

Still deprived of the injured Alexandre Texier, Columbus lost heavily (2-6) to the fiery Calgary Flames, who recorded a seventh success in a row. Fifth in the Metropolitan Division, 16 points behind fourth Washington, the Blue Jackets have very little chance of reaching the play-offs.