By Jake Ricker
The Lightning faced off against the Carolina Hurricanes after returning from a tough three-game west coast trip. It was a hard-fought game but the Lightning came out on top to end their losing streak. Here are a few things we noticed from the Lightning's 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Fast Start
After scoring just one goal in each of their three games on their West Coast road trip, the Lightning needed to get off to a fast start, and that's exactly what they did. The Lightning outshot the Hurricanes 11-9 in the first 20 minutes and took a 1-0 lead off a great rebound goal from Brandon Hagel. The Lightning also generated many good scoring chances, specifically from the top line of Kucherov, Guentzel, and Point. While they did not get any points early on, the generated chances got the crowd and the rest of the team into the game while helping keep a good Carolina team at bay.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Vasilevskiy has continued to play well even through this four-game losing streak, but tonight, he not only played well but got the win. Vasy stopped 30 of 32 shots. Vasilevskiy continues to be the key for the Lightning night in and night out.
Vasilevskiy gave up just one goal, which came off a quick shot from a face-off win by the Hurricanes. Vasilevskiy now holds a .925 save percentage over his last five games, which ranks 14th in the NHL
Daren Raddysh
The Bottom pair of defensemen have been a subject of criticism lately, but another solid game for Darren Raddysh. Raddysh finished the night with two assists. On a night when the Lightning only allowed two goals, Raddysh played solid, defensively and offensively. While the Lightning defense can still be a little inconsistent at times, Raddysh is an important guy to get going and help bridge that gap between the top and bottom pair defensemen. Brandon Hagel
Hagel finished the game with one goal and four shots tonight, but his energy alone deserves some recognition. Hagel created countless opportunities and was able to show off his physicality after knocking over Sebastian Aho, who cross-checked Hagel in retaliation.
While it may not seem like much, this type of hard-nosed play has continued to help the Lightning keep their heads in the game and slow down any momentum from the opposing team.
Next, the Lightning will welcome their division rival, Boston Bruins, in the final game of their two-game homestand. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM EST on Thursday.
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