By Jake Ricker
The Tampa Bay Lightning looked to bounce back after a tough loss to the Florida Panthers. Here is how they stacked up against the Rangers.
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Here are the biggest takeaways from the Lightning's 5-1 loss to the Rangers.
Costly Mistakes
It's no secret that the Lightning have had issues defensive issues all season long, and tonight was no different. The Lightning made multiple mistakes that led to odd-man rushes, and the Rangers capitalized on all of them, which was the difference in the game.
The first goal scored by the Rangers largely happens because Victor Hedman blew a tire, creating a 2-on-1; if Hedman stays upright, that play never happens. The Second goal, the Lightning left two Rangers players down low with just Perbix to try and defend. The Lightning have to account for their assignments to prevent these situations from happening. This continued throughout the night, with almost all of the goals coming off odd-man rushes. Things are going to happen like Hedman blowing a tire, but when it happens five different times... it's a major issue.
Offensive Chances
The Lightning ended the night with 35 shots on goal. Late in the second and for a decent amount of the third, the Lightning were running circles around the Rangers and creating multiple chances but could not convert.
It's no secret that the Lightning have a great offense, and it has been especially good at home. But credit where credit is due, as the Rangers and Shestirken made some big plays to keep the Lightning off the board.
There were still a lot of positves from the Lightning offense. Just seeing them create these opportunities shows that they can play against the top teams. Unfortunately, the Lightning just didn't have good puck luck when it came to the offense.
Final thoughts
This game came down to two huge key factors. First, the Lightning made way too many defensive mistakes that the Ranger capitalized on every single time. And they could not capitalize on their own chances despite creating plenty of opportunities. A frustrating night for the Lightning.
This season has been widely inconsistent, and the Lightning will have to try and get some consistency going if they want a shot at the Cup this year. The Lightning are by no means out of a playoff race, but these losses hurt. Now, they will ned to look ahead and rebound against the Canadiens tomorrow night.
Three Stars
Media's three-stars
1. Panarin (3G)
2. Shesterkin (34SV)
3. Trocheck (1G,3A)
Our three-stars
1. Panarin (3G)
2. Shesterkin (34SV)
3. Trocheck (1G,3A)
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