Andrei Vasilevskiy earned his first shutout of the season, while Conor Geekie scored his first NHL goal as the Lightning down the Capitals, 3-0. Mitch Chafee and Brayden Point rounded out the scoring in the hotly contested game at Amalie Arena.
Both teams started strong in the first period. The Lightning, struggling on the forecheck the past few games, drew an obvious change in strategy. With a much more aggressive checking scheme, the Bolts kept themselves in a game that saw Washington continually attempting to take control.
Chaffee’s goal early in the second period came after a seven-shot opening for Washington to start the period. The Bolts continued to push through the middle of the period until the Capitals regained their composure.
Despite Washington rattling off 16 shots in the second period, Vasilevskiy and the Lightning defense stood tall. Tampa Bay had 20 blocked shots total in the game.
The Bolts took control of the game early in the third period when Point score in the first three minutes. Geekie would then follow up with a goal less than a minute later.
Tampa Bay continued to work hard defensively to keep the Capitals off the board. Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper noted how important it was for his team to keep their focus.
“The big thing for us was that the game before we had two minutes left in the second period. We cough it up and now we go to the room tied at two,” Cooper said. “Then (in the third period), we take the penalty and they score right away.”
“In the second period tonight, we didn’t break,” Cooper noted. “So now we go in, 1-0. We don’t give up the lead.”
“Then we come out and score those quick ones early and we knew how they (Washington) felt on their bench.”
Vasilevskiy Shakes Off The Past Three Games
Surprisingly, Vasilevskiy came into the game on a three-game losing streak. Singlehandedly, the all-star goalie kept Washington off the scoreboard with some impressive saves in the first two periods. Despite saving all 31 shots he faced, Vasilevskiy credited his teammates for the shut out as much as his own performance.
“A couple shots from the blue line the guys did a great job in front, blocking shots and great backchecks,” Vasilevskiy said. “It was a great team effort.”
Moreover, Cooper reiterated Vasilevskiy’s continued contribution to the Lightning’s success.
“He’s been playing great for us all year,” Cooper noted. “In his mind, he probably wants a period or two back in some situations, but he’s been locked in.”
“He was locked in tonight.”
Geekie Gets His First with the Lightning
Forward Conor Geekie has been flirting with the back of the net since the first game of the season and his hard work came to fruition tonight. The rookie netted his first NHL goal to crush the Washington spirit less that a minute after Point’s goal in the third period.
On replay 🥹🔂 https://t.co/c7pkJequyO pic.twitter.com/X1hlx4iZhs
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 27, 2024
Particularly impressed were his teammates, who celebrated Geekie as he returned to the bench following the shot.
“We’re so happy for him,” Mitch Chaffee said following the game, “You only score your first goal one time. So it’s exciting to see since he’s been putting in a lot of work. A lot of effort.”
Geekie didn’t speak of his own success. Rather, he focused on the bond being built between he and his linemates.
“(Brandon) Hagel is a great guy. He’s a gamer, you know,” Geekie said. ” They (Hagel and Cirelli) play so hard that they make it easy for you.”
“So it makes it a lot easier coming in every day when you play with those two.”
The Chase For Gretzky Waits
Obviously frustrated, Washington superstar Alexander Ovechkin was kept quiet most of the night by the Lightning defense. While being held scoreless only two shots, the Capital forward must wait another night to add to his goal total as he chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 1,016 goals.
Three Stars of the Game
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay. Vasy stopped all 31 shots faced.
F Conor Geekie, Tampa Bay. Geekie scored the first NHL goal of his career.
F Mitch Chaffee, Tampa Bay. Chaffee gained the momentum for the Bolts with his second period goal.
Up Next for the Lightning
The Lightning (5-3-0 10 pts) address the elephant in the room when they host former captain Steven Stamkos and the Nashville Predators (3-5-0 6pts). Puck drop at Amalie Arena is at 7:30pm.
