Tonight was the night Tampa Bay Lightning fans, hockey has returned and the Lightning are once again expected to compete for a Stanley Cup. Coming in tonight was the Lightning’s in-state rival the Florida Panthers, another team expected to make a playoff push this season.
It seems year after year heading into the the season opener, analysts around North America peg the Lightning as a top three team. Being considered a top NHL team is a great honor, but it also comes with lofty season expectations. Most insiders have the Lightning ranked #1 in their power rankings heading into the opening week of the season. The Panthers came into Amalie Arena looking to build upon a solid season in which they barely missed the playoffs.
Officially introducing your 2018-19 #Bolts! ⚡️#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/37nCyYyrMS
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 6, 2018
Home sweet home
Tampa enters tonight’s game with a franchise record 158 sellouts, including playoff games. The streak began on March 5th, 2015.
Season opening games
The season-opening game for the Lightning has been usually VERY good for the Bolts. In their 25 previous season-opening games, the Lightning are 16-7-2. Entering tonight’s game, they had won their previous four season-openers.
Where do they go from here..
This time is built and built to win NOW! While stars Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov are signed long-term, other valuable players aren’t just yet. Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde, and of course Andrei Vasilevskiy will all be seeking extensions. Problem is… the money may not be there when the time comes to keep them all, so why not go all in while you can, because the fuse is lit and time is running out.
Not the first period the Lightning were looking for
To say the team came out kind of flat would be an understatement. Just over five minutes into the opening period, Jacob MacDonald would beat Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot to put the Panthers up 1-0. To say the Lightning didn’t play up to expectations through the first period would be putting it lightly. Too many long passes, passes to nowhere and not getting the puck out of their zone were some of the issues the Bolts had faced through 20 minutes.
Trying to get back in it
The second period was a somewhat different period for your boys in blue. The Lightning had only four shots on goal through the first period while Florida had 15. Through the end of the second period, Tampa Bay made Roberto Luongo work before he exited the game with a leg injury.
Big Cat keeps the team in it
Despite giving up one goal early in the game, Vasilevskiy played well enough to for the Lightning to win. Vasilevskiy faced 43 shots throughout the game, with Luongo stopping 13 and James Reimer stopping 15 of 16 shots he faced in relief. The Lightning netminder was able to hold off the Panthers long enough for Anthony Cirelli to tie it up. While shorthanded, Cirelli slipped to the right side of Reimer and tapped the puck into the net for a 1-1 tie. Three-on-three overtime wouldn’t solve this game, so it went to a shootout. JT Miller and Kucherov would score to keep their opening night success going. That’s now five opening games in a row the Lightning have won.
*exhales*
*unmutes the phrase ‘you haven’t scored since game 5 of the ECF’ from our mentions*ahhh, that’s the stuff. ????
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 7, 2018
Chasing Milestones
Entering this season there are a number of milestones Lightning players are chasing. Stamkos needs only two goals for 350 in his career. Vasilevskiy needs one more shutout to move past Daren Puppa for third on the all time list.
Notes and Odd Ends
- A year ago, the Lightning went 10-2-1 in October, tying the St Louis Blues for first in the NHL.
- Tampa players combined for 148 points in October last season. That was the second highest in team history for any month.
- Tyler Johnson (scratched) needs just one goal to move into a tie with Brian Bradley for 8th place on Tampa Bay’s all-time goal scorers list.
- Adam Erne skated in his 49th career NHL game, if he isn’t scratched against Vancouver next Thursday, that will be his 50th career NHL game.
- Kucherov needs one assist to move past Dan Boyle for 8th place among Tampa’s all-time assists leaders.
Three Stars of the Game
3rd Star – Jacob MacDonald: Scored the first goal of his NHL career.
2nd Star – Anthony Cirelli – Scored the game tying goal
1st Star – Andrei Vasilevskiy: Stopped 43 of 44 shots on goal he faced
Next Up
The Vancouver Canucks come to Amalie Arena to face the Lightning on October 11th as part of their five-game season-opening homestand.
