After starting the season with only two goals in as many games, the Tampa Bay Lightning came out determined to get better on offense. Bolts head coach Jon Cooper let it be known that the team would be working on power play drills during practice on Friday. The extra work paid off big time as the Lightning scored four power play goals, rediscovering their mojo in an 8-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amalie Arena on Saturday.
Entering this game, many fans were left wondering what happened to the highest scoring team in the league last season. Cooper took action after the second game and made some necessary changes. Cooper separated Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Stamkos remained on the top line with Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde. Moving Kucherov to the second line allowed Cooper to reunite “The Triplets.” Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Kucherov took the fan base and the league by storm in 2014-2015, but since that season, they have mostly played on different lines. With the offense struggling, Cooper decided to look for some old mojo in the form of that line that was so successful in the past. In the Triplets’ first shift, Johnson found Victor Hedman for a goal, and they never looked backed.
Lightning get on top quick
Hedman’s goal came only one minute into the first period, putting the Lightning up 1-0. The second goal came from Cedric Paquette after Gourde forced a turnover and found Paquette in the slot. With the Lightning up by two, a power play that had been struggling mightily in the first two games, earned an opportunity to pad that lead. The Lightning responded to the adversity of those early games, getting their first power play goal of the season. Mikhail Sergachev took a shot from near the blue line and Gourde got the rebound and put it in the back of the net. With the proverbial monkey off their back, the Lightning were flying high with a 3-0 lead.
A lackluster second period
After all the success of the first period, the Blue Jackets responded in the second. They came out with renewed focus and out-shot the lightning 16-5. The Lightning looked sloppy, with Hedman serving six minutes of penalty time alone. The Blue Jackets got their first goal of the night off of a Josh Anderson wrist shot. They followed that up with a goal seven minutes later by Oliver Bjorkstrand. However, after allowing Columbus to fight their way back into the game, the Lightning were able to expand their lead on a goal by Brayden Point.
Finishing strong
The Lightning escaped a bad second period only giving up two goals and responding with one of their own, but the third period was all Lightning. Tampa Bay started the period on the power play after a late second period penalty on the Blue Jackets. They did not let that opportunity go to waste, as Brayden Point scored his second goal of the night. Five minutes later, they capitalized again on another power play, this time in the form of an Alex Killorn goal.
Kucherov was visibly frustrated on the ice after coming up short on a few scoring chances. After having a shot gloved by Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Kucherov smacked his stick against the glass in frustration. In the midst of a 6-2 lead, Kucherov had the body language of a player on the team losing 6-2. Determined to score, he finally found the back of the net later in the third, making it 7-2. The scoring was capped off when J.T Miller put a bouncing puck off a rebound in the net with only 0.2 seconds left.
The Lightning will hit the ice again Tuesday night at Amalie Arena when the Carolina Hurricanes come to town. Puck drops at 7:30 pm.
Game Notes
-Thirteen Lighting players had at least one point tonight.
-Point’s two goals bring his total to three in three games so far.
-The Lightning penalty kill remains perfect after three games at 14-for-14. They killed off all five Columbus power plays tonight.
-Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had 30 saves on 32 shots for a .938 save percentage.
Three Stars of the Game
1st Star: Brayden Point, 2 goals and 1 assist
2nd Star: Yanni Gourde, 1 goal and 1 assist
3rd Star: J.T. Miller, 1 goal and 2 assists.
