Seven goals in five games, let that sink in Tampa Bay Lightning fans. Your captain Steven Stamkos is on a pace no one’s ever seen from him before. While Stamkos is on a heater, the rest of the team has found it tough in the first five games of the season. Nikitia Kucherov is the next closest to Stamkos with seven points, all assists. Brian Elliott, tonight’s starter is 0-1-0 heading into tonight’s contest with a 5.05 GAA. Tampa welcomes in the New York Islanders who was a standard opponent for the Lightning in the playoffs, is off to just as rocky of a start.
Lets be honest, this wasn’t the start to the season any Tampa Bay Lightning fan was expecting. When you make long runs in the playoffs such as the Lightning the last three years, you get tired. So it may take a couple weeks to truly get into their groove, but rest assured they will.
On Point..
This first period was kind of back and forth, kind of not? The New York Islanders led most of the first period in shots on goal, But it was Tampa the would “Strike” first. Brayden Point would put the Lightning up 1-0 just past the mid-way point of the first.
Brayden Point is starting to catch fire #NYIvsTBL
Pointer gets the scoring started, from the call of @DaveMishkin and @PhilEspo7
🎧: @1025TheBone or Lightning Radio 24/7 on TuneIn pic.twitter.com/c2sHAn68p2
— Lightning Radio (@BoltsRadio) October 22, 2022
Not two minutes later a break down in the defensive zone would allow the Islanders to tie it up 1-1 from a Matt Martin shot. With time winding down Brandon Hagel would put the Bolts back up by one goal (2-1) with 1:57 left in the first.
Hagel is flying tonight, and gets rewarded on this play #NYIvsTBL
His first of the year puts the Bolts up at the intermission, as called by @DaveMishkin and @PhilEspo7
🎧: @1025TheBone or Lightning Radio 24/7 on TuneIn pic.twitter.com/FGFhuswgPy
— Lightning Radio (@BoltsRadio) October 23, 2022
Perry on his way to 20 goals…
So 3:12 into the second period, Dan Herrejon’s favorite player would put the Lightning up 3-1 with his second goal of the season. Yes Corey Perry is only 18 goals away from 20, but we all know he’ll get there. It was a routine tap in from the left side of Ilya Sorokin.
Corey Perry standing exactly where a goalscorer should be #NYIvsTBL
The School Bus line makes it 3-1, as called by @DaveMishkin and @PhilEspo7
🎧: @1025TheBone or Lightning Radio 24/7 on TuneIn pic.twitter.com/BRxmddTPuC
— Lightning Radio (@BoltsRadio) October 23, 2022
Just before the mid-way point of the second period Anthony Beauvillier would get his stick behind Brian Elliott and cut the Lightning’s goal lead back to one. The there was Nick Paul, who scored a Tyler Johnson-esqe goal with literally no time left on the clock to give the Lightning back their two goal lead.
Will the third be the Bolts Achilles Heal again..
So far this season the third period has not been kind to the Lightning. 5:45 into the 3rd period, the Islanders would get back to within a goal when Ryan Pulock would get one past Elliott. 14:08 into the third while on a power play due to Mathew Barzel going to the box for slashing, Alex Killorn would notch his first goal of the season. The goal would give the Lightning back their 2 goal lead. The Lightning would hold on to win 5-3.
Three Stars of the Game
3rd Star – Nick Paul:
2nd Star – Corey Perry: Five shots and one goal
1st Star – Brayden Point: Two points (1g-1a)
Up Next
The Lightning travel to California to face the Los Angeles Kings (10/25) the Anaheim Ducks (10/26) and the San Jose Sharks (10/29)
