By Jake Ricker
The Lightning faced off against the Montreal Canadiens in the final game before the four nations faceoff break and looked to pick up another big Atlantic division win. Here are a few things we noticed from the Lightning's 5-3 win over the Canadiens.
Depth Scoring
One of the biggest issues for the Lightning during their recent losing streak was not getting depth scoring. This issue came through once again in this one, with none other than Zemgus Girgensons scoring his first goal as a member of the Lightning. Girgensons has had a few good chances over the season but could never seem to get the puck in the back of the net. Hopefully, this goal will boost his confidence going forward.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Vasilevskiy has continued to shine over the last few weeks, but his performance against the Canadiens was particularly impressive. Playing in back-to-back days is not easy, and Vasy had to face 35 shots in total, of which he stopped 32.
The Canadiens applied significant pressure multiple times throughout the game, and Vasilevskiy had to make several big saves in a row. Without him, this game could have easily gone in the Canadiens' favor. Now, he will get a much-deserved break with the Four Nations faceoff tournament up next.
Third Period
The Lightning had their backs against the wall in the final frame after playing back-to-back road games. While this period was definitely an issue of being on the second half of a back-to-back, it also showed a continued glaring defensive issue for the Lightning. Giving the Canadiens way too many quality chances, the Lightning defense continues to be inconsistent.
The good news is JJ Moser is nearing a return for the Lightning after the four nations break. Moser was quickly becoming one of the top defenders for the Lightning, and the Bolts could certainly use him back out on the ice.
The Lightning will now have a 2-week break for the 4 nations face-off. Their next game will not be until February 23rd, when they take on the Seattle Kraken at Alamie Arena.
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