By Jake Ricker
The Tampa Bay Lightning looked to bounce back after back-to-back losses to the Rangers and the Islanders. Here is how they stacked up in last night's matchup against the Blue Jackets.
Stamkos-Point-Kucherov
Hagel-Cirelli-Paul
Sheary-Motte-Eyssimont
ABB-Glendening-Chaffee
Hedman-Raddysh
Fleury-Cernak
Lilleberg-Perbix
Vasilevskiy
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Lightning's 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Vasilevskiy
Believe it or not, Vasilevskiy has only played 28 games this season, so it's still early in the season for him. Tonight was a classic Vasilevskiy game, making big stop after big stop when called upon. The defense in front of him was certainly better than it was in front of Johansson against the Islanders, but Vasilevskiy still faced plenty of quality chances.
Despite letting up two late goals in the third when Columbus had all the momentum after avoiding a 5-minute major, Vasilevskiy still finished the night with 32 saves and a .941 save percentage. Vasilevskiy looks like he is returning to how he was before dealing with the injury that forced him to have surgery this season.
Second Line
The Lightning's second line really came through tonight, with Nick all three guys scoring goals. Paul cashed in on the power play, something he has done all season, but he was also very noticeable getting pressure in the offensive zone. Paul has had somewhat of a slump in recent games, so it was nice to see him get back on the scoresheet.
Cirelli scored his goal on a breakaway to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead on a beautiful play. But perhaps most importantly, Cirelli finished as a +2 on the night, again showing off his great defensive ability. Cirelli was all over the ice tonight, something it feels like he hasn't been able to do nearly as much this season.
Finally, Brandon Hagel scored his goal on an empty net. Hagel extended his goal streak to four games and his point streak to 6 games, which ties a career-high for him. Hagel also had two assists in this game, capping off a three-point night. Hagel has been one of the best trade acuasitions for the Lightning, not only can he get on the scoresheet but he is alwas near the puck and brings an unmatched level of energy in each and evrey game. Third Period
The Lightning mostly controlled this game until late in the third period. Mikey Eyssimont had given a shove to Ivan Provorov, who took exception to it and decided to cross-check Eyssimont in the face. The refs initially called a 5-minute major on Provorov, but after review, they only gave him 2 minutes for cross-checking and two minutes for roughing, while Eysimont got a double minor for roughing, which evened things out.
This seemed to spark the Blue Jackets as they quickly scored soon after and then scored on an assuming power play to pull within one. The Lightning were able to settle things down, though, and hold onto the victory. It was good to see the Lightning still able to close out the game despite the Blue Jackets starting to climb back, something the Lightning have struggled with recently.
Final Thoughts
This wasn't a perfect game by any means, but it was a much-needed win for the Lightning after losing their last two games. The defense improved from their game against the islanders, and Kucherov stayed hot like he always does, extending his NHL point lead with 89 points on the season.
The Lightning schedule starts to get harder over the next few games, so they will need to continue to improve if they want to stay hot. Their next game will be against the Boston Bruins on February 13th at 7 PM Eastern at TD Garden.
Three Stars
Media's three-stars
1. Vasilevskiy (33 SV)
2. Jenner (2G)
3. Hagel (1G, 2A)
Our three-stars
1. Vasilevskiy (33 SV)
2. Hagel (1G, 2A)
3. Jenner (2G)
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