BOLTS OF LIGHTNING

Tampa Bay finished this segment of one home and three road contests at 2-1-1 garnering five out of a possible eight points. Here’s how the Bolts were able to accomplish that feat.

GAME REVIEW 

GAME 40 BRUINS 1 LIGHTNING 4

Tampa Bay scored two late goals to break open a close game and defeat Boston 4-1 Thursday at Amalie Arena. The Bolts improved to 22-15-2 totaling 46 points. The Bruins slipped to 20-19-5 for 45 points.

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes of play the Lightning scored first at 14:07 of the middle period. F Anthony Cirelli (16) recorded a shorthanded goal with F Brandon Hagel (26) and D Ryan McDonough 910) credited with the assists.

Tampa Bay scored again in the second period at 19:10. This time it was F Mikey Eyssimont (4) lighting the lamp with F Nick Paul (12) and McDonough (11) garnering the helpers giving the Bolts a 2-0 advantage at the second intermission.

Boston cut the lead to 2-1 at 2:05 of the final period but that’s the closest the Bruins would get.  Tampa Bay made it 3-1 with Hagel (19) depositing the puck into an empty net at 18:28 with F Nikita Kucherov (40) and D Erik Cernak (10) getting credit for the assists.

The Lightning finished the scoring with a power play marker at 19:24. F Brayden Point (25) pushed the rubber disk across the line with Kucherov (41) and D Victor Hedman (25) providing the assists to make the final arithmetic 4-1 in favor of the Bolts.

G Andrei Vasilevskiy (18-12-1) saved 27 of 28 shots to record the victory.

GAME 41 LIGHTNING 2 DEVILS 3 0T

Tampa Bay lost a heartbreaker to New Jersey Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark 3-2 in overtime. The Devils advanced to 26-15-4 for 56 points. The Bolts with the OT loss moved to 22-15-3 and that adds up to 47 points.

Both teams scored in the opening period with New Jersey getting on the board first at 8:10. The Lightning evened the score at 9:57 with Hedman (6) getting the goal with Paul (13) credited with the only assist.

The Devils took a 2-1 at 15:16 of the middle period. The Bolts tied the encounter at 2-2 at 8:05 of the final period with Kucherov (18) sliding the puck across the line with Hagel (27) and McDonagh (12) getting the helpers to send the contest to bonus hockey.

New Jersey notched the game winner on a power play at 3:19. The Big Cat (18-12-2) took the overtime loss but salvaged a point stopping 23 of 26 shots.

GAME 42 LIGHTNING 5 PENGUINS 2

Tampa Bay broke open a close game with three late third period markers to defeat Pittsburgh 5-2 at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday. The Bolts advanced to 23-15-3 and that totals up to 49 points. The Penguins fell to 18-19-8 and that’s 44 points.

The Pens had the only score of the first 20 minutes at 14:20. The Lightning evened the count in the second period at 6:54. Hagel (20) recorded the goal with Cirelli (19) and D Emil Lilleberg (9) getting the helpers. Tampa Bay took the lead at 16:04 with Kucherov (19) denting the scoreboard with Hedman (26) and F Jake Guentzel (20) posting the assists. The Bolts took a precarious 2-1 advantage to the locker room after 40 minutes of play.

Pittsburgh got the equalizer quickly at 2:17 of the final 20 minutes but the Lightning exploded for three late markers. The first coming at 16:57 with Kucherov (20) recording an unassisted goal. The last two were both of the empty net variety with Cirelli (17) getting the first at 18:48 with Kucherov (42) and Hagel (28) providing the assists. Less than a minute later at 19:39 Paul (11) slid one in the empty net with Guentzel (21) and McDonagh (13) assisting making the final count 5-2 in favor of the Bolts.

G Jonas Johansson (5-3-1) recorded the win turning away 31 of 33 shots.

GAME 43 LIGHTNING 2 BRUINS 6

Tampa Bay dug too deep a hole early and couldn’t climb out losing to Boston 6-2 Tuesday at the TD Garden. The Bruins advanced to 22-19-5 and that equates to 49 points. The Bolts fell to 23-16-3 also for 49 points.

The Beantown Gang took a quick 2-0 lead early in the first period with goals at 4:24 and 9:31. The hometown team quickly extended their advantage in the middle stanza to 4-zip lighting the lamp at 1:13 and 6:05. Tampa Bay finally dented the scoreboard at 8:50 with F Conor Geekie (6) putting the biscuit in the basket with Hedman (27) and D Darren Raddysh (14) recording the helpers.

The Lightning cut the lead in half with just 18 ticks left before the second intermission. Hedman (7) was credited with the goal and Kucherov (43) and Paul (14) provided the assists.

The Bolts were forced to pull the goaltender late in the final period when the Blu & Black were on a power play but Boston quickly found the back of the net for a pair of shorthanded empty net markers at 6:30 and 16:58 to make the final arithmetic 6-2 in favor of the Bruins.

#86 (18-13-2) absorbed the loss turning away 18 of 22 shots on goal.

ANALYSIS

*Kucherov is now up to 63 points on 20 goals and 43 assists. That’s good enough for the third most in the NHL.

**Hedman has now recorded 599 assists and needs one more to be the first Lightning player to record 600 career assists.

***Tampa Bay fired a season high 45 shots on goal at Boston with 20 occurring in the second period.