Pontus Holmeberg put on another strong show for the Tampa Bay Lightning as they held off the Winnipeg Jets to win 6-4.
Holmberg scored a goal and three assists for four points. It marked the first game of his career where he tallied that many points in a game. It was the third time in his career that he had a three-point night.
For good measure, it was the first game with at least three points in a Lightning sweater.
Holmberg had recently been highlighted as an unsung hero this season by Bolts By the Bay, and he wasted no time continuing to step up.
Through 12 games, he’s up four goals and six assists for 10 points. Last year saw him pick up career highs in goals and points (11 and 22), which came in 70 games. At this pace, he can set a new career high for points in 28 games. A new career high for goals could come in 36 games.
A stealth piece to the Lightning puzzle
It’s no secret that he thrived on Thursday night partnering up on the second line with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel. However, he was on a nice pace even before that. Through the first 11 games, he posted six points.
Half of those came while seeing the ice with Ilya Mikheyev and Zemgus Girgensons. Another was unassisted, and the rest of the time, he either fed the puck to a defenseman (Victor Hedman) or got it from a defenseman (Erik Cernak, Ryan McDonagh).
He’s arguably just taking things another step forward this season. Yes, if he continues to play with Hagel and Cirelli, those numbers will continue to boost in a hurry, but it helps.
Even then, he could still be more useful in the top six than others. Gage Concalves has seen time in the top six, and he’s had two points all season. It took him nine games to get his first.
This is working. The Lightning should stick with this setup for as long as they can. Combined with his defense, Homberg could be set to make a major impact this season.
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