What was the biggest story of the night?
Scott Burnside: If ever there was a team that needed a goalie to step forward and make a statement, it was the St. Louis Blues, and Carter Hutton picked a good night to do so as the Blues blanked the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in Pittsburgh. More important, the Blues ended a three-game losing streak and won without giving up any of the horrific goals that have beset them in recent weeks, Hutton stopping all 34 shots he faced. Now, the Blues still have to get No. 1 Jake Allen right if they hope to not just secure a playoff berth but be a factor. But as veteran analyst Darren Pang told us in our Hockey Today Podcast this week, the rest of the Blues know they have been a big part of their goaltending problem and, at least for one night, they gave Hutton the support he needed for the Blues to get a much-needed win -- and, for a moment, silencing the chattering about the team's goaltending issues.
Craig Custance: In a rematch of the 2015 Stanley Cup finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2, and did it in a way Chicago never loses -- by rallying to win in the third period. This game was big for a couple of reasons. First, it showed just how much fight the Lightning have left. They needed this win and scored four goals in the third period like a team desperate for two points. Second, Tyler Johnson had a moment reminiscent of his 2015 playoff performance when he scored twice in 30 seconds during the third period. If they're going to leapfrog half the East to get back in a playoff spot, the Lightning need Johnson producing like that.
Pierre LeBrun: The Lightning, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders scored wins Tuesday night to further compress the crushed beer-can standings of the Eastern Conference. Take a look, as of this morning we've got six teams tied at the bottom with 49 points -- six! I mean, we've never had this kind of logjam or parity to this degree. There is no doormat in the East. Just a whole bunch of teams still in the playoff race. For the Lightning, as Craig touched on, that was one heck of a win in Chicago. I still believe in that Bolts roster and perhaps this is the start of an important run for them.
Joe McDonald: The Boston Bruins' 4-3 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings snapped a four-game losing skid. The Bruins needed this win. Bad. Rumors are coach Claude Julien's job is dangling in the wind and with one game remaining (against the Penguins on Thursday) before the All-Star break, Boston needed a break of its own. Goalie Tuukka Rask allowed one soft goal, but other than that he was outstanding and made numerous timely saves to keep the Bruins within striking distance. That finally happened when forward David Pastrnak scored his first goal in his last 18 games.