By Jake Ricker
The Lightning took on the Arizona Coyotes last night as they looked to extend their winning streak to four games. This would also mark the first time the Lightning played inside Mullet Arena, the temporary home of the Coyotes. Here are a few things we noticed from the loss.
Power Play
The Lighting have the third-best power play in the NHL at 26%. However, it has struggled on the road. The last power-play goal for the Lightning on the road was on January 14th against the Blues. Tonight was no different, with the power play going 0-5. (one power play lasted 10 seconds at the end of overtime)
The Lightning were able to generate a lot more chances than in previous games, but it is clearly still something the Lightning would like to work on. As for what the issue exactly is, it's hard to tell. Tonight Connor Ingram played extremely well and was a big reason for the Lightning's struggles.
Offense
The Lightning had chance after chance in this game. They racked up a total of 47 shots and were kept scoreless through two periods. The Lightning still had a lot of good opportunities, with only some chances coming from the outside. The Lightning also dominated in zone time, really controlling the pace of this game.
The issue in this game was Connor Ingram. He was steller against the Lightning, and they could not figure him out. He was able to control his rebounds and stop almost everything the Lightning threw at him. It wasn't until the shootout Stamkos finally got one past, Ingram. Unfortunately the Coyotes scored twice and outlasted the Lightning.
Brian Elliott
Despite facing only 26 shots, Elliott still had a solid night in net. He made some big saves when called upon and was able to control his rebounds. His workload increased late in the third period, but Elliott was ready and stayed sharp. Elliott does not get to play nearly as much as most backup goalies, so his ability to come in after having multiple games off makes his performances even more impressive.
Sometimes all you need is for your goalie to make the simple saves, and that's exactly what Elliott did. He continues to be one of the better backup goalies the Lightning have despite picking up the loss. He does pick up his first shutout of the season, though, since the only goals scored came in the shootout.
Final Thoughts
This was a frustrating game for the Lightning as they threw everything they had at Ingram, but he played an outstanding game and shut out the Lightning. One area that could definitely see some improvement is the power play. Despite having a lot of good chances, the road power play has not been good, and scoring on just one could have been the difference in this game. The Lightning do pick up a point and extend their point streak to five games.
Three Stars
Media's three stars
1. Ingram (47SV 0GA)
2. Keller (winning shootout goal)
3. Elliott (26SV 0GA)
Our three stars
1. Ingram (47SV 0GA)
2. Elliott (26SV 0GA)
3. Keller (winning shootout goal)
The Lightning's next game will be against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, February 18th, at 10:30 PM ET.
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