Connect with us

Lightning

Revenge served, Lightning even season series against the Bruins

Revenge was on Tampa Bay’s mind after being held without a goal in the last meeting against the Boston Bruins. This time the Lightning had the last laugh and walked out with a commanding 6-2 victory. Nikita Kucherov returned to the lineup after missing the last game with an illness. After a shaky first period, the Bolts returned with authority and never really gave Boston a chance to gain any momentum. While the Lightning have been inconsistent at times, tonight reminded everyone why they are a playoff threat year in and year out.

 

Captain starts the show early

First quality chance of the game came from the Lightning and would score the first goal of the night. Victor Hedman had an empty net to shoot at on the rebound and buried the puck in for the early 1-0 lead. David Pasternak had a breakaway opportunity, but Ryan McDonagh was able to get back in time to disrupt the play. Then, Bruins went on the power play after the Lightning were called for too many men. Bolts kill off the penalty, but a couple of miscues nearly led to the Bruins scoring on the man advantage. Next, Kucherov was cross-checked by Nikita Zadorv giving the Lightning their first chance on the power play and looked to extend their lead.

A tale of two halves

However, Bruins kill off the penalty thanks to some great saves by Jeremy Swayman. 6:15 remained in the period and so far, the Lightning controlled the game. Unfortunately, control did not last long, and the Bruins would equalize. Elias Lindholm was left alone after defenders were elsewhere which allowed him to tie the game with ease. Despite being outplayed, Bruins captivated on their chance and the Lightning defense had to correct their mistakes or else momentum would shift. Period ended with the score remaining 1-1 but Bruins ended looking like the better team on the ice.

Regaining control

For the second period the Lightning had to play smarter if they wanted to win this revenge game. Just like the first period, Tampa Bay scored early, and it was a similar goal to Hedman’s. Nick Paul scored his 20th of the season after a great setup by Gage Goncalves to take the 2-1 lead. Once again, Paul nearly scored but Swayman made a nice rebound save. Immediately, Lightning would go on the power play after the Bruins were called for a delay of game.

Offensive spark

There still would be no goals scored on the man advantage, but more importantly Lightning regained the momentum. Afterwards, Anthony Cirelli scored off a deflection to further extend the lead 3-1. The goal would set a career high in both goals and points for Cirelli. It was clear the Bolts were looking for revenge and whatever was said in the locker room fueled everyone on the bench. Lightning continued to command the puck as the period went on and the scoring would not end. Late in the period Darren Raddysh fired a clean shot to make it a 4-1 game. Period ended with the Bolts heavily outshooting the Bruins 29-8. They did not give up a single shot on net for the entire period.

From no shots on net to a quick goal

After being held without a shot on goal for the second period, Bruins scored 23 seconds into the third. Marat Khusnutdinov cut the lead to two goals that caught everyone by surprise. It looked like the goal would be challenged for offsides, but the Lightning opted not to. Bruins came out of the gate hungry to get back in the game and their play reflected that. Lightning remained up 4-2 but began to play sloppy like the latter half of the first period. Half the period went by with no change in the score.

Revenge is certainly sweet

Once again, Lightning continued to fumble the puck, yet it never resulted in a costly turnover. Revenge game continued to go the Lightning’s way, but they could not play too conservative if they wanted to keep the two-goal lead. Surprisingly, no penalties have been called since the delay of game call on the Bruins in the second period. With three minutes to go Swayman is pulled for the extra attacker and Brandon Hagel scores on the empty net. Cirelli would also tally an empty net goal before the game ended. Ultimately, the gap was too much for the Bruins to come back from and the Lightning get a much needed 6-2 victory. On deck, Lightning will return home for one game and host the Philadelphia Flyers.

 

Three stars of the game

1st star: Anthony Cirelli – 2 goals

2nd star: Nick Paul – 1 goal and 1 assist

3rd star: Yanni Gourde – 2 assists

Related Topics
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *