As the Tampa Bay Lightning look to get their 8th straight win, the Buffalo Sabres come six points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final playoff spot. Nikita Kucherov came into tonight’s game hunting for his 100th point of the season.
TAMPA, FL – Right now one could say when it comes to the NHL standings, it’s the Tampa Bay Lightning and everyone else. Entering tonight’s game the next team in the eastern conference is the Boston Bruins with 80 points. Over in the west the Calgary Flames sit at 81 points before all games started.
Chasing milestones
Prior to puck drop a few Lightning players were chasing career milestones. Forward Tyler Johnson needed two points to hit 300 for his career. ON the first goal of the game he assisted on the goal to inch closer to that milestone. Ryan Callahan needs one assist for 200 in his career, while Brayden Point needs one for 100 career assists. Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (192 games) will pass Nikolai Khabibulin for games played by a Lightning goalie in his next game to move into third place. Captain Steven Stamkos sits two goals behind former captain Vincent Lecavalier for most goals in franchise history with 381. If Stamkos were to get two tonight he would have tied Lecavalier for the lead while needing 313 games fewer games.
No Regulation losses in February
Since the calendar turned to the second month of 2019, the Lightning have yet to lose in regulation. Their seven game winning streak isn’t their only winning streak of at least seven games this season. They are only the sixth team in NHL history to record three separate winning streaks of seven or more games in the same season. Tampa has led the NHL in points solely since December 2nd. With this game going past three periods that streak continued for the Bolts who will have three more games remaining in February.
For the first time in six games the Bolts don’t score first
A back and forth first period was what one would expect from these two teams. The last time these two team faced off the Lightning took a 5-3 win up in Buffalo. Tonight the Lightning killed off a four minute penalty near the midway point of the opening period. With 1:47 left in the first period Rasmus Dahlin would fire a shot from the point. Trying to help Vasilevskiy, Ryan McDonagh would attempt to block the shot, but when the puck went off the Bolts defensemans glove it redirected just enough to get past Vasilevskiy. The goal gave Buffalo a 1-0, and it was the first time in six games the Bolts hadn’t scored first.
Kuch gets 100
With both teams battling into the second period, it was a familiar name that got the Bolts on the board to tie the game. Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian would turnover a puck in the slot and off went Johnson and Kucherov. With only one Sabre in-between them, Johnson would dish off a pass to Kucherov who buried the puck past Carter Hutton to tie the game and notch his 100th point of the season. Kucherov only needed 62 games for his 100th point (30g – 70a).
Goal? Sick.
Celly? Hyped.
History? Made.#Klutcherov? In the zone.#BUFvsTBL | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/CinbaCQLe0— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 22, 2019
Stalemate in the 3rd
Neither team was able to truly get a foothold through the third period. Hutton who had been backing up Linus Ullmark recently kept the Lightning to just one goal through three periods. Ullmark was injured in the pre-game skate, opening the door for Hutton to play in his 36th game of the season. While the 3 on 3 overtime didn’t provide a winner, the shootout only went three rounds. Stamkos opened it up with a goal, while Sabres captain Jack Eichel missed. Point was next and dinged off the post. Vladimir Sobotka didn’t fair much better than Eichel, then Kucherov closed it out with the second Lightning shootout goal.
Up Next
The Lightning will welcome in the Los Angeles Kings on Monday February 25th.
Three Stars
3rd Star – Andrei Vasilevskiy – Kept the Lightning in it all night long, a big reason the Bolts are where they are in the standings.
2nd Star – Nikita Kucherov: Nets #100 in 62 games, fastest player in 22 years to that many points. Also scored the game clinching goal in the shootout.
1st Star – Carter Hutton – Made 39 tough saves against the top team in the NHL.
