Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro scored as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1. Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 of 25 shots he faced as the San Jose defense helped snap the Lightning’s three-game road win streak.
It was a different game than when San Jose visited Tampa Bay on December 5th. The Lightning jumped out to a considerable lead in that game’s first period with five goals and would win 8-1. San Jose came out much more focused tonight.
Toffoli opened the scoring for the Sharks with a wrist shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy. After outscoring their opponents by almost 2-to-1 in the first period this season, the Sharks’ held the Bolts to a rare opening-period shutout. San Jose spent most of the period in their offensive zone, limiting Tampa Bay’s scoring chances.
The second period continued in the Sharks’ favor. Ferraro added a second goal when a favorable bounce found his stick, and he wristed it into the net.
Tampa Bay struggled to find a rhythm until late in the period. Anthony Cirelli redirected an Erik Cernak shot from the point past Askarov.
Perfect timing, Tony 🤝 pic.twitter.com/aBltS5D8YD
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) January 3, 2025
The Lightning came out feverishly in the third period, resulting in more scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, the Sharks’ defense played aggressively and kept the Bolts out of the net.
The loss also snapped the Lightning’s 9-0-1 win streak against the Sharks in their last 10 matchups.
Tampa Bay’s Defensive Struggles Continue
The Lightning have struggled on defense, and tonight was no exception. A lackluster effort resulted in more scoring opportunities for San Jose, who outshot Tampa Bay 21-14 in the first two periods.
Cirelli acknowledged halfway through the game that the Lightning continued to struggle to play their game and were allowing the Sharks to dictate play.
“They’re playing fast, playing with skill and making plays,” Cirelli said at the second intermission. “I think we need to get back to our game, getting pucks behind there, and get on the forecheck.”
While the Lightning defense perked up in the third period, the offense could not generate any goals despite outshooting San Jose, 11-4, in the period.
“(There was a lack) of execution, for sure,” Head Coach Jon Cooper said. “I’ve watched this team make plays all year. Tonight we couldn’t make them for whatever reason.”
“When you’re not executing at this level, it’s tough to make plays.”
Bolts Gain a Forward, Lose a Defenseman
Jake Guentzel returned to the Lightning bench after a two-week absence. He was limited to one shot in near 23 minutes of play.
Victor Hedman was hit in the ear by a slapshot on a Lightning power play in the third period. Hedman immediately dropped to the ice and was helped to the locker room. He would not return to the game, which hurt the Lightning’s chances to come back even more.
Although Cooper did not have an update on the injury post-game, all indications from other players were that Hedman would be okay.
Three Stars of the Game
1. Mario Ferraro, San Jose. Played a tough game defensively and put one in.
2. Tyler Toffoli, San Jose. Opened the scoring with a nice move on the Bolt defense.
3. Yaroslav Askarov, San Jose. Stopped 24 of 25 shots, and made some key saves to keep Tampa Bay from scoring.
Up Next
The Lightning road trip continues when they travel to Los Angeles to play the Kings. Puck drop is at 9 p.m.
