By Jake Ricker
The Lightning took on the Boston Bruins last night as they looked to avoid a three-game losing streak in a big division game. Bellemare and Raddysh would get into the lineup, while Bogosian and Eyssimont were the healthy scratches. Here are a few things we noticed from the loss.
Fights and Penalties
This game did not take long to get things going, with Maroon and Hathaway jawing at each other before the puck was even dropped. Just 9 seconds into the game, we had our first brawl, with Maroon and Hathaway being the main event. It was clear the Lightning were fired up and ready to start this game.
Unfortunately, they would get an extra penalty sending the Bruins to the power play. This set the tone for the rest of the game, with the Bruins getting four power plays before we had even hit the halfway point o the first period.
While some were warranted, some calls were extremely questionable. Either way, the Lightning needed to kill them off. The Lightning were able to kill off most of the penalties. Unfortunately, during one of the power plays, a puck deflected off of Victor Hedman and into the back of the net.
Luckily not all was lost, as Victor Hedman scored shorthanded to tie the game. Hedman has not looked like himself all season long, but he was already having one of his best games tonight.
Things would stay physical and undisciplined as the Lightning picked up two power plays of their own. Unfortunately for the Lightning, the first power play was shortened because they were already on the penalty kill, and the second was broken up by the end of the period.
Power Play Struggles
With a tie game heading into the second period, things were looking up for the Lightning. This had been one of the better games for the Bolts, and now they would look to capitalize. That opportunity would come when the Bruins took two quick penalties giving the Lightning an extended 5-on-3.
While the Lightning power play has been good this season, this one would backfire as they were never able to get a shot on goal. They took way too many passes looking for that perfect shot and failed to capitalize on this huge opportunity. The Lightning have to shoot the puck more, especially when you have two extra skaters on the ice that can retrieve rebounds.
Then later in the period, the Bruins were able to bat a rebound out of the air past Vasilevskiy for a 2-1 lead. After a huge momentum swing, the Lightning now found themselves trailing once again, heading into the third period.
Chances But No Goals
The Lightning got plenty of chances in the final 20 minutes, and Vasilevskiy made some big saves to keep them down by just one goal. Unfortunately, the Lightning were never able to capitalize on these chances.
Credit to the Bruins as well, who made some big stops late, including one on a rocket from Nikita Kucherov in the final minute. They grabbed the lead and then locked things down for the rest of the game.
Final Thoughts
The Lightning again looked much better. Despite the result, this was probably one of their better games in recent weeks. The month of march has been frustrating, but as the Lightning's play continues to get better, things are looking up for the team.
Vasilevskiy was great in this game, and Hedman came through big for the team once again with a shorthanded goal. The biggest issue in this game was the overpassing on the 5-on-3-man advantage. To only lose by one and be in the game the entire time against the best team in the NHL should tell you all you need to know about this team's drive as we get closer to the playoffs.
Three Stars
Media’s three stars
1. Ullmark (26 SV, 1 GA)
2. Hathaway (1G)
3. Orlov (3 S,6 HITS)
Our three stars
1. Ullmark (26 SV, 1 GA)
2. Hedman (1G)
3. Hathaway (1G)
The Lightning's next game will be against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, March 28th, at 7:00 PM ET.
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