After a disastrous road trip, the Bolts returned home to host the one opponent they had managed to beat on the road trip… the Chicago Blackhawks. These two teams faced off just four nights ago in Chicago. In that game, the Lightning looked to be headed for yet another road loss. But a tying goal in the final minute and then another power play goal in overtime salvaged one road win for our boys in blue. Tonight was a rematch of the same goaltenders as Friday night. Jonas Johansson took the net for the Lightning as Andrei Vasilevskiy needed a night off due to illness. Arvid Soderblom, who had his best game of the season Friday night, was looking to continue the dominance he’d shown over the Bolts.
Can the Homecoming Change Their Fortunes?
The Lightning have been dropping in the standings this month as they have been making up some of their games in hand. Unfortunately, they’ve been making them up with losses while teams below them seem to keep winning. The road has not been friendly for the Bolts this season, so they were hopeful that some home cooking could get them back on the winning path. They were also without defenseman Emil Lilleberg who was serving the first game of a two-game suspension for interference against J.T. Compher in the Detroit game Saturday night.
Happy Homecoming, Brayden Point!
Brayden Point opened the scoring early in this one as he wristed a shot over Soderblom at the 3:34 mark. Nikita Kucherov, who saw his 11-game point streak come to an end in Detroit, got back in the points column with the first assist on the goal.
“In front for Point, SCORRREEE!!!!!”
The Bolts waste no time starting the homestand! Point cashes in to open the scoring.#CHIvsTBL
🎧: https://t.co/S6Y9TymMk9
📻: @1025TheBone pic.twitter.com/RpE4jK19II— Lightning Audio Network (@BoltsRadio) January 29, 2025
Welcoming an Old Friend
As the first period was coming to an end, an old friend got himself into a bit of trouble. Former Bolt Pat Maroon took a four-minute penalty. Two minutes for boarding and another two for unsportsmanlike conduct. But it was almost as though Maroon had given his team the jolt they needed. The Blackhawks killed off the penalty relatively easily to end the opening period. They completed the kill over the first 17 seconds of period two and seemed to take over the game from there.
Sloppy Seconds Ruin Happy Homecoming
The Lightning played sloppy defensively for the first several minutes of the second which led to a Blackhawk power play. Just 24 seconds into that power play, the Bolts took a second penalty to give Chicago a five on three for 1:36. Tampa Bay killed off the two-man advantage and almost killed off the whole second power play. But with five seconds remaining, Connor Bedard scored to tie the game at 1-1. With 1:46 remaining in the period, the Blackhawks scored again to take a 2-1 lead into the dressing room after 40 minutes.
Soderblom Does It Again
Arvid Soderblom has not exactly been dominating the league this year. His record is 6-11-3. He has a goals against average of 2.97 and a .906 save percentage. But he has absolutely stymied the Lightning this past week. Although the Bolts did beat him in overtime Friday night, he allowed just 2 goals over the first 59 minutes. Tonight, after the early goal, he once again closed the door on the Lightning.
The Blackhawks scored again after more sloppy Lightning defense in the third period to take a 3-1 lead and added an empty net goal for good measure in the last minute.
The Bolts lost their second straight and fourth of their last five games.
Three Stars
1- Landon Slaggert- 1st goal of the season, game winner
2- Arvid Soderblom- stopped the Lightning chances all night long (34 of 35)
3- Seth Jones- 2Â assists
Up Next
The five-game homestand continues Thursday night as the Bolts finish out their January schedule against the LA Kings. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm.
