By Jake Ricker
The Lightning faced off against the Ottowa Senators, looking to try to pick up another huge 2 points in a tight Atlantic division race. Here are a few things we noticed from the Lightning's 5-1 win over the Ottowa Senators.
Power Play
The Lighting power play had been in a huge funk over the last week but tonight, it came through, scoring a goal but also generating chance after chance. This power play looked like the Lightning power play of old. Capitalizing on these chances is especially important in these types of games.
A lot of the success came from the Lightning simply shooting the puck to get the Senators moving and creating rebounds. Something they were not doing in games, like when they took on the Islanders.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Vasilevskiy has been mentioned a lot over the last few games, but deservedly so. He made a few timely saves in this game to keep the Lightning in it. With just 1 goal allowed tonight, Vasy has let in one goal or fewer in three of his last five games. The Bolt's offense is starting to find its feet again, but play like this from Vasilevskiy will certainly help the team feel more comfortable while they try to get back in their gove.
Vasilevskiy has a GAA of 3.31 and .918 SV% in 40 games played, which ranks him 6th and 4th respectively in the NHL.
Playoff intensity
This was the second game the Lightning had played against the Senators in a row. Because of the repeat opponent, the Lightning, being right behind the Senators in the standings, this game was huge for both teams. That intensity was felt right away, with both teams creating chances and playing at a fast pace. That intensity never left either, with the Senators constantly pushing back against the Bolts.
This was exactly the type of game the Lightning needed to get them back into a good grove. They had been playing very inconsistently, and this type of game can get your juices flowing. Hopefully, the Lightning can now carry the momentum into their road trip with two more Atlantic division opponents.
Next, the Lightning will head out on the road to face the Detroit Red Wings in the first half of a back-to-back. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 PM PM EST at Little Ceasers Arena on Saturday.
Want to start your journalism career by writing about the Tampa Bay Lightning? Send us a message via our contact form located in the upper right-hand corner under the more tab, or send us a message via Twitter to get started.
Comments