BOLTS OF LIGHTNING

The four-game segment started with two home victories and then two gut wrenching road losses. That left Tampa Bay at 2-2 for the week and that added up to 4 points. Here’s how that transpired.

GAME REVIEW

GAME 44 DUCKS 3 LIGHTNING 4 SO

Tampa Bay started out this four-game segment with a 4-3 Shootout win over Anaheim on Thursday at Amalie Arena. The Bolts improved to 24-16-3 and that adds up to 51 points. The Ducks slipped to 18-21-6 for 42 points.

The visitors scored first at 6:03 of the opening period. The Lightning evened the count at one apiece at 14:19. With Tampa Bay having the man advantage, F Anthony Cirelli (18) recorded the equalizer with F Brandon Hagel (29) and D Victor Hedman (28) providing the helpers.

The Bolts took the lead back at 2:51 of the second period. Another power play marker was registered by F Jake Guentzel (22) with F Nikita Kucherov (44) and D Darren Raddysh (15) being credited with the assists.

Anaheim tied the score at 2-2 at 11:26 of the middle period but the Lightning rebounded to take a 3-2 advantage at 15:26 of the second stanza. F Brayden Point (26) lit the lamp with Kucherov (45) and D Nick Perbix (7) registering the assists.

The Ducks tied the count at 3 each at 9:53 of the final period and that is how the contest ended in regulation. Both netminders stepped up to post a clean sheet in overtime sending the tilt to a shootout where Guentzel provided the game deciding goal.

G Andrei Vasilevskiy (19-13-2) turned away 34 of 37 shots to post the victory.

GAME 45 RED WINGS 1 LIGHTNING 5

Tampa Bay scored the first four goals of the contest and cruised to a 5-1 victory over Detroit Saturday at Amalie Arena. The Bolts advanced to 25-16-3 adding up to 53 points. The Red Wings fell to 22-20-4 and that equates to 48 points.

The Bolts opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period coming at 2:02. Point (27) did the honors with D Emil Lilleberg (10) and Perbix (8) garnering the assists.

The Lightning exploded for 3 quick second stanza markers. The first was a power play score by Guentzel (23) just 16 ticks into the middle period with Kucherov (46) and Raddysh (16) providing the helpers. Tampa Bay made it 3-nil at 1:50 with Kucherov (21) putting the biscuit in the basket with Hedman (29) and Guentzel (22) credited with the assists. The Bolts increased their advantage to 4-zip at 3:58 with F Mitchell Chaffee (8) lighting the lamp with F Cam Atkinson (3) getting the assist.

Detroit cut into the lead with a power play at 14:12 to make the count 4-1 but the Lightning answered with a man advantage goal less than a minute later. Raddysh (2) put the disk between the pipes at 15:06 with Kucherov (47) and Guentzel (23) responsible for the set up.

Both goalies had clean sheets in the third period and that made the final count 5-1 in favor of the Bolts.

The Big Cat (20-13-2) corralled the win turning away 21 of 22 shots on goal.

GAME 46 LIGHTNING 3 MAPLE LEAFS 5

Tampa Bay lost a heartbreaker to Toronto 5-3 Monday at the Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs moved to 30-16-2 for 62 points. The Bolts dropped to 25-17-3 and that totals 53 points.

The home team recorded the only goal of the first period at 4:06 and stretched the lead to 2-0 at 13:45 of the middle 20 minutes. The Lightning cut the lead in half when F Nick Paul (12) scored with Raddysh (17) and Point (23) recording the helpers, but Toronto scored a backbreaking goal with just 23 seconds left giving the Maple Leafs a 3-1 advantage after two periods of play.

Tampa Bay got within a goal at 8:07 of the final stanza. Raddysh (3) did the honors with Hedman (30) and Kucherov (48) providing the assists. The home team answered with a power play marker at 10:09 to regain a two-goal lead but the Lightning were not finished. With the man advantage Paul (13) lit the lamp at 12:05 with Hagel (30) and Hedman (31) getting credit for the helpers.

The Bolts hit a couple of posts before pulling the goalie for the extra attacker and clanked another puck of the pipes before Toronto registered an empty net goal to make the final count 5-3 in favor of the Maple Leafs.

G Jonas Jonas Johansson (5-4-1) turned away 23 0f 27 shots in a losing effort.

GAME 47 LIGHTNING 2 CANADIENS 3

Tampa Bay let a two-goal lead evaporate and fell to Montreal 3-2 on Tuesday at the Bell Center. The Canadiens pushed to 24-19-4 and that equates to 52 points. The Bolts slipped to 25-18-3 and that adds up to 53 points.

The Lightning recorded the only goal of the opening 20 minutes at 14:20. Kucherov (22) was responsible for the tally with Cirelli (20) and Lilliberg (11) providing the assists.

Tampa Bay made it 2-zip at 2:45 of the middle period. Guentzel (24) deposited the puck in the net with F Mikey Eyssimont (3) getting the only helper.

Montreal would score the next 2 goals with the first on a power play marker at 5:32 and the second at 7:21 to tie the contest.  It would remain 2 all at the end of 40 minutes of play.

The Canadiens got the game winner at 17:45 of the third period and survived a late offensive barrage by the Bolts who outshot the Habs 35 to 22 to secure the win.

#86 (20-14-2) took the hard luck loss turning away 19 of 22 shots on goal.

ANALYSIS

*The Shootout win over the Anaheim Duck was the Bolts first Shootout win of the campaign.

**Vasilevskiy notched his 20th win for the 9th consecutive season becoming the 9th netminder since 1980-81 to accomplish that feat.

***Kucherov extended his consecutive points streak to 10 games marking the 11th of his career trailing Connor McDavid with 16 and tying Sidney Crosby with 11 among active NHL players.

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