Lightning Finish Homestand With Win Over the Blue Jackets.

By Jake Ricker

The Lightning took on the Columbus Blue Jackets in their last home game before the Christmas break. Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, and Braydon Point all got in on the scoring to give the Bolts a 4-1 win. Here are three things we noticed from the game.

Brian Elliott

We have mentioned Elliott a lot lately, but for a good reason. With his win tonite, he is now 7-1 on the season. Elliott has filled the backup role and then some for the Lightning this season. It may not seem like much, but their rest days are a Hug help for Vasilevskiy, who usually has to take a large amount of the load. Elliott made 23 saves on 24 shots in a game where he didn't have to do too much. But even when the Blue Jackets did make a push, Elliott made the stops he needed to. The one goal he let in is one he probably wants back, but overall, another solid night for the veteran goaltender.

Power play

The Lightning went 0/3 on the power play; however that doesn't tell the whole story. The Lightning had a lot of quality chances, including one from Nikita Kucherov that just missed its mark. The Power play had struggled early in the season, and the changes they made look like they are paying off.

Third Period

The Bolts have scored three goals in three of their last four games in the third period. As much as we stress playing a full 60 minutes, the Lightning have shined in the final 20. This isn't necessarily something to rely on, but it is nice to know this team still holds a ton of firepower and can get back into a game quickly.

Three Stars

1. Point (1G)

2. Elliott (23SV)

3. Kucherov (3A)

The Lightning's next game will be against the Montreal Canadians on Saturday, December 17th, at 7 PM ET.

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