Lightning Fall to Sharks 4-3 in Overtime

By Jake Ricker

The Lightning took on the San Jose Sharks last night as they looked to bounce back from a rough loss to the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, the Lightning would fall just short in a tight game that took overtime to decide a winner. Here are a few things we noticed from the loss.

Special Teams

The Lightning have had a lot of success with special teams this season, with one of the top power plays and penalty kills in the NHL. However, things would not go as well for the Bolts in this one, and it was a large part of the Sharks taking home the win.

The power play finished the night going 1/6. They were able to create a few good chances on each attempt but could never quite find the back of the net. Shots were either just off, or the Lightning were only able to really put pressure on when time was already winding down. With six different power play opportunities, the Lightning would have defiantly liked to convert on at least one more. Overall there shouldn't be too much concern as they were generating chances, but a little more consistency could go a long way for the Lightning.

The Penalty kill only had to hit the ice three times but unfortunately surrendered two goals. Both these goals came within seconds of the penalty kill, starting when the Sharks won a face-off and took a quick shot from the point. Credit has to be given to the Sharks for their quick work, but the Lightning did not do a good job of closing the gap on the puck carrier in this one. Again overall, there should not be too much concern as the penalty kill overall has been fantastic.

Braydon Point

Point is having one of his best seasons, and tonite was no different. Point was flying around the ice all night long and even dropped the gloves during the second period. With two goals and multiple close chances for a third, Point was the lifeblood of this offense. If Point can continue at the pace he is on, there is no telling what he might be able to accomplish this season. With his two goals tonite, he sits at 31 goals on the season, which is the third most in his career.

Ross Colton

Somewhat quite early in the season, Ross Colton has played well over the past week. He was a mini Brayden Point in tonight's game. Despite only scoring once, Colton generated multiple grade-A chances and was someone the Sharks had to keep an eye on all night. If Colton can keep up his success, he will be a huge boost for the Lightning come playoff time, just like he was back in the 2021 Stanley Cup run.

Final Thoughts

The Lightning had a multi-goal lead, good chances, and the momentum for a large portion of this game. Unfortunately, some special teams issues and a disallowed goal by Steven Stamkos were the Lightning's ultimate downfall. The Lightning did get a point out of the game, which is a huge plus, as they have only one other overtime or shootout loss this season. While it may not look all that important now, these points can be curtail for where the Lightning finish in the playoff race.

Yes, the Lightning are conformably in a playoff spot already, and home ice is not the most important factor, but the Lightning have played much better at home this season, and it is always better to have a higher seed when possible.

Three Stars

Media's three stars

1. Meier (2G)

2. Point (2G)

3. Karlsson (1G, 2A)

Our three stars

1. Meier (2G)

2. Point (2G)

3. Colton (1G)

The Lightning's next game will be against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, Febuary 9th, at 7:00 PM ET.

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