Fresh off one of their most successful road trips in years, the Tampa Bay Lightning closed the road trip with a 3-2 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks.
Anthony Cirelli tallied his 16th goal of the season just 59 seconds into overtime to get the Bolts their 39th win.
The Lightning have lost just one game since acquiring forward Anthony Duclair and defenseman Matt Dumba at the trade deadline. The Lightning lost to the LA Kings 4-3 in OT on Saturday night.
The Bolts have gone 7-1-1 so far in March and are quickly piling up the points.
The Lightning just finished the road trip with a 4-0-1 record, getting nine out of ten possible points.
Lightning In Control Of Their Playoff Position
The Lightning are firmly in control of the first wild-card spot with 85 points and are six points up on Washington, who currently hold down the second wild-card spot.
The Lightning are also closing the gap on third-place Toronto in the Atlantic Division, as they trail the Maple Leafs by just four points. The Bolts have two games with Toronto in April—one at home and one on the road.
If the season were to end today, the Lightning would face the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.
The Anthony Duclair Impact
Forward Anthony Duclair has been unbelievable since being acquired by Tampa at the trade deadline. He has five goals and four assists with the Lightning in the seven games he has put on a Tampa Bay sweater.
The energy and juice he brings to the lineup every game has been what this team has needed to get some momentum down the stretch for the playoff run.
Cooper discussed what Duclair and Dumba have brought to this team since the trade deadline. “Since the trade deadline, we’ve really turned the corner. Duclair and Dumba have come in and really given our team a little life. Special teams have been great and the goaltending has been excellent, and its added up to some points for us in the last few weeks here.”
Cooper then talked about Duclair and how he has fit in with this team. “He’s played (seven games) for us, and he’s pointed in every one of them. A few of them have been goals, and he’s scored some big ones for us. That’s why we brought him in was to have a positive impact on our team and he’s done that. And he’s fit pretty well with 21 and 86.”
That is a good sign for the Lightning, as they are getting hot at just the right time, with the playoffs approaching.
Kucherov Continues His Quest For The Hart Trophy
Nikita Kucherov, who leads the NHL in scoring with 123 points, had his 13-game point scoring streak snapped. Kucherov had five goals and 29 points during the last 13 games before his scoreless game in Anaheim.
The Lightning played the game against the Ducks without a couple of starters, as Victor Hedman and Braydon Point missed the game with lower body injuries. Both are day-to-day.
The Lightning will be back home on Wednesday against the Boston Bruins. Then, the Bolts will take on the New York Islanders on Saturday night.