Facing a team coming off a blowout loss to the Florida Panthers one night ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning weren’t ready at the outset. They regrouped nicely though, scoring three straight goals in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars.
Game Flow
Coming off a win over the Vancouver Canucks, the Lightning didn’t have their best start. They were a step behind and struggled to hit the net with shots. It didn’t prove costly, as the Stars were over-aggressive in the early going.
Two and a half minutes in, Tyler Seguin was penalized for tripping Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning power play spent a lot of time passing the puck. As a result, there weren’t any goals scored.
With a still scoreless game, the Stars gained confidence. They used that to their advantage, with Esa Lindell beating Andrei Vasilevskiy for a 1-0 lead.
It didn’t last long, as Ryan Suter was sent to the penalty box late. That power play seemed destined to come up empty until Nikita Kucherov found Brayden Point in the slot. Point got the puck just under the arm of Anton Khudobin with 19 seconds left in the opening frame to tie the game at one.
Beginning with the second period, the Bolts controlled the game. They were quick to pucks and peppered Khudobin with one shot after another. In his first start since November, the Stars net-minder stood tall, keeping the game tied through 40 minutes.
Entering the final period, the Lightning knew if they played the way they did in the second, they had a good chance of walking away with two points. It didn’t come easily but the Bolts found a way.
Using a combination of solid defense and heads-up passing, Kucherov sprung Ross Colton on a breakaway. The second-year pro beat Khudobin top shelf to make it 2-1.
From there, the defense and Vasilevskiy stood tall in keeping the one-goal lead stand up. In the final two minutes, Alex Killorn sealed the win with an empty netter to make it 3-1.
Game Notes
- Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves on 20 shots to earn his league-leading 22nd win.
- Anton Khudobin made 27 saves on 29 shots for the Stars.
- Nikita Kucherov continued his hot streak with two more assists. That brings him to nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games since returning from a lower-body injury that required surgery.
- Brayden Point has points in nine of 10 games since returning from a lower-body injury that cost him a month. He’s currently on a six game point streak.
- The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers atop the Atlantic Division and NHL standings at 57 points.
Up Next
With three straight wins under their belt, the Lightning jet west to take on the three California teams. The trip begins Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Puck drop is set for 10:30 PM EST.
(Featured image by Chris O’Meara/AP Photo)