By Jake Ricker
The Lightning faced off against the New Jersey Devils, looking to get off to a good start on this short three-game road trip. Here are a few things we noticed from the Lightning's 3-2 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Turnovers
Turnovers were a big issue for the Lightning in this game. They had four alone in the first period, which proved to be very costly, with the Devils creating odd-man rushes back the other way. Luckily for the Lightning, the Devils failed to capitalize on these chances, and Vasilevskiy made the necessary saves to keep the game close.
A lot of these costly turnovers came from the defense trying to pinch up and one D-man getting caught alone after the turnover. The Lightning have to be aware of where everyone is to try and prevent this moving forward. They were able to survive tonight but might not be so lucky in the future.
Power Play
The Power play has been up and down for the Lightning this season, starting slow and then heating up. It seems as if the power play has hit another lull, going 0/3 in tonight's game. The Lightning never really created any great chances. These power plays came at big times for the Lightning as well in the third period, with the Bolts down just by one.
We have seen what this power play is capable of doing, but they continue to try and get too cute lately, making that extra pass. While it is not a major issue now, it is definitely something the Lightning would like to correct sooner rather than later.
Third Period
The final 20 minutes were by far the best for the Lightning. They had extended zone time, good chances, and controlled the pace of play. Kucherov eventually tied the game in the third as well on a nice breakaway. If the Lightning had played like this for the majority of the game, they are likely headed to Pittsburgh with 2 points.
Unfortunately for the Lightning, they found themselves trailing in this period, so while the solid play got them to overtime, it was not enough to win the game. Getting a point in this game was a win for the Bolts despite being outplayed, so the push at the end was a welcome surprise.
While not the result they wanted, any points the Lightning can bank on road trips, especially in a month filled with back-to-backs, is a positive.
Next, the Lightning will head to Pittsburg for the second half of a back-to-back to face the Penguins. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 PM EST on Sunday.
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