The Tampa Bay Lightning were red hot going into the all-star break. But a long break sometimes has a nasty habit of slowing a team’s momentum. Add to that a very tough six-game stretch and this could be a potentially rough next couple of weeks for the Bolts. Their first two games have, indeed, proven difficult as they dropped both contests in New York earlier this week. Tonight’s matchup in Columbus against the Metropolitan division’s basement dwelling Blue Jackets SHOULD be the easiest of this stretch. But as we all know (especially in this salary cap era), any team can be any team on any given night.
The Lightning went into the break holding down third place in the Atlantic division. But, after their two losses and wins by the teams chasing them, they go into tonight having dropped into the final wildcard spot in the eastern conference.
Scoring in the Nick of Time
In both of their last two games, the Bolts surrendered the first goal and were forced to chase the games from early on. They definitely wanted the first goal tonight. But the Blue Jackets would not make it easy. Columbus had not played since January 30th. They are a young team, leading the league in scoring. The break seemed to give them a bit of jump in their step and they looked good early on. But the Bolts stood their ground. At the 13:32 mark, Kent Johnson got his stick up into Nick Paul’s face. The cut drew blood, sending the league’s top power play team to a four-minute man advantage. The Jackets killed off the first half of the double minor. But just a few seconds into the second half, Paul made Columbus pay for that high stick in his face. He scored his 14th of the season to give his team that much-needed opening goal.
🗣️@DaveMishkin “SCORREEEE NICK PAULLL!”
1st period: @TBLightning 1 Blue Jackets 0! Hagel and Raddysh assist on the power play goal. #TBLvsCBJ
🎧: https://t.co/BVfdPZ2Udz
📻: @1025TheBone pic.twitter.com/89sMC1eHfn— Lightning Audio Network (@BoltsRadio) February 11, 2024
Brandon Hagel assisted on the goal to extend his point streak to six games. It is worth nothing that the Lightning have won their last 20 straight games when Nick Paul scores a goal.
Breaking Away in the Second
The Bolts had a solid first period. But second periods have been somewhat of an Achilles heel for the boys in blue this year, particularly on the road. They’d certainly like to change that trend tonight. It started off just as they’d hoped. Brandon Hagel found Anthony Cirelli with a pass that sent Cirelli in on a breakaway. Cirelli made no mistake burying his 11th of the season.
Cue "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson, please. pic.twitter.com/LLu4XxZwUD
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 11, 2024
Both teams had chances throughout the period and both goalies came up big when they needed to. Andrei Vasilevskiy had one particularly brilliant sequence where he absolutely robbed the Blue Jackets to keep his shutout intact through two.
🗣️@DaveMishkin “VASILEVSKIY SHEER LARCENY!” #TBLvsCBJ
🎧: https://t.co/BVfdPZ2Udz
📻: @1025TheBone pic.twitter.com/l5uVifTU1S— Lightning Audio Network (@BoltsRadio) February 11, 2024
First Fight
As the clock ticked down, a scrum ensued. Darren Raddysh lost his stick and pushed Damon Severson to the ice. Severson took exception to the push and cross checked Raddysh. The two dropped their gloves and each one threw a few punches. In the end, the Lightning would come out of the exchange with a power play as both players took five for fighting and Severson got an extra two for the cross-check. It was the first ever NHL fight for Darren Raddysh.
The Bolts did not score in the first ten seconds of their power play and the horn sounded to end two periods. They would start period three with 1:50 remaining on the man advantage.
Another Quick Strike
The Lightning had scored just 49 seconds into the second period. They were looking for another opening minute goal as they started the third period with on the power play. They did not have to wait long! Just 23 seconds in, Steven Stamkos drilled his famous one-timer past Columbus netminder Elvis Merzlikins. Merzlikins appeared shocked that the puck had gotten past him, but there was no doubt that it had and that the Bolt captain had his 22nd of the season. Nikita Kucherov drew an assist on that power play goal to extend his point streak to seven games.
Power play goal for Tampa Bay!
Scored by Steven Stamkos with 19:37 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov.
Columbus: 0
Tampa Bay: 3#TBLvsCBJ #CBJ #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/fHSt2sztsx— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 11, 2024
No Quit in the Jackets
The Blue Jackets were not going away tonight. They finally broke through Vasilevskiy at 12:22 as their captain Boone Jenner found an opening to put his team on the board.
Less than three minutes later, the Lightning were whistled for a penalty. The Bolts needed a big kill. Unfortunately, they did not get it. Boone Jenner struck again to pull his team within a goal with 4:10 remaining in regulation. And it was nail-biting time for Lightning fans. Would a three-goal third period lead slip away?
Columbus pulled Merzlikins for the extra attacker and had a few dangerous chances. Finally, with under a minute remaining, Kucherov passed the puck over to Brandon Hagel who found the empty net for his second goal of the game and 19th of the season to put the Bolts up 4-2 with 48 seconds remaining to seal the win for Tampa Bay.
With the victory and a Toronto Maple Leaf loss in Ottawa, the Bolts move back into third place in the Atlantic division for the time being. They have now won 21 straight games when Nick Paul scores a goal!
Three Stars
1- Brandon Hagel- 1 goal, 2 assists (3 points)
2- Boone Jenner- 2 goals in the third period
3- Andrei Vasilevskiy- stopped 33 out of 35 shots- including some brilliant saves at key moments
Up Next
From the basement to the ceiling… the Lightning leave the conference’s basement-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets and head to Boston to face the conference leading Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Puck drop scheduled for 7pm.
