Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning finished their five-game home stand and much like a lot of games this season this game started much like every other. Looking to get back on track following a 6-4 loss on Tuesday to the Winnipeg Jets. In that game as well Winnipeg scored first, before Matthew Peca notched his first career NHL goal before Winnipeg would get the next three unanswered. More often than not this season the Bolts have been forced to come from behind in games, and somehow their record hovered above three games over .500 entering tonight’s game. The Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has be perfect against the Lightning in his career going 6-0-1.
A familiar for would creep up early in this game to bite the Lightning as Mike Fischer would take advantage of a Tyler Johnson slashing call, giving the Nashville Predators a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Throughout the period action would go back and forth with neither team gaining much of an advantage. Tampa would ultimately out-shoot the Predators six shot to five in a moderately slow opening period for this game. The Bolts would get a couple opportunities with the man advantage, but would be unable to convert.
Filip Forsberg would notch his ninth goal of the season early in the second period off an Adam Erne screened shot. With Nashville pressuring the Lightning in their own zone, Forsberg would get the puck along the boards before spinning and shooting the puck on net. Erne standing in front of Vasilevskiy would have the puck go through his legs and the Lightning netminder wouldn’t stand a chance of stopping that shot. Just about two minutes later while on the power play Alex Killorn would park in front of Rinne and screen the Predators goalie for Tyler Johnson who would get his 12th of the season on the power play. Seven minutes later the Predators would strike for two goals in less than 60 seconds to give them a 4-1 lead courtesy of Colton Sissons and Ryan Ellis. The Ellis goal came under some scrutiny as the initial call on the ice was no goal due to goalie interference. Peter Laviolette would challenge the call and ultimately win allowing Ellis’ goal to count.
The third period wouldn’t be so kind the Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning as Sissons would notch his second and third goals of the night. Coming into this game on the season Sissions only had 2 goals in 27 games, his second goal was an empty netter. This Lightning team has now given up back to back games of six goals and ended the five-game home-stand on a bit of a sour note.
Tampa will look to rebound when they fly to the city of brotherly love to play the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday at 1pm.
3 Stars of the Game
#1 Star – Colton Sissons (Nashville): Even though one goal was an empty netter, they kid still played a great game.
#2 Star – Pekka Rinne (Nashville): Is now 7-0-1 all-time against the Lightning. Faced 28 shots tonight only allowing one goal.
#3 Star – Mike Fischer (Nashville): One goal and one assist on the night.
