BOLTS OF LIGHTNING

Tampa Bay completed the last segment with an above average 2-0-2 for 6 out of a possible 8 points. Here’s how the Blue & Black accomplished that feat in four home contests.

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GAME REVIEW

GAME 78 MAPLE LEAFS 4 LIGHTNING 3 OT

Tampa Bay started a four game home stand and had numerous chances to emerge victoriously but fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in OT on Wednesday in a playoff intensity contest at Amalie Arena. The Leafs advanced to 48-26-4 for 100 points. The Bolts moved to 45-26-7 totaling 97 points.

The North of the Border Gang jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage with goals at 1:13 and 3:33 of the opening stanza. The Lightning answered at 18:58 when D Nick Perbix (6) lit the lamp with F Anthony Cirelli (28) and F Brandon Hagel (49) recording the assists. Both teams when to the locker room after 20 minutes of play with Toronto holding a precarious 2-1 lead.

After a scoreless middle period, Tampa Bay knotted the score at 2 all with a power play marker just 50 seconds into the final period. F Oliver Bjorkstrand (21) put the puck in the back of the net with F Nikita Kucherov (82) and D Victor Hedman (48) notching the helpers.

The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a power play goal of their own at 2:03. The Bolts evened the score at 3 each with another man advantage counter with Hedman (15) putting the rubber disk across the line with Bjorkstrand (25) and Hagel (50) sending the puck toward #77.

That would be all the scoring in regulation leading to bonus hockey. The visitors garnered the two-point victory at 2:56 of overtime to register a hard-fought 4-3 OT victory.

G Andrei Vasilevskiy (37-20-4) made 27 saves on 31 shots salvaging a point in a losing effort.

GAME 79 RED WINGS 4 LIGHTNING 3 OT

Tampa Bay salvaged a point in another 4-3 OT setback to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. The Wings are 37-35-7 adding up to 81 points. The Bolts crept to 45-26-8 and that’s good enough for 98 points.

The Lightning posted the only score of the first period. Cirelli (27) did the honors with Hagel (51) and D Darren Raddysh (31) corralling the assists.

The Wings took the lead in the middle period with scores at 4:07 and 16:37. Tampa Bay tied the contest 1:15 later when F Gage Goncalves (7) deposited an unassisted marker.

The Bolts took a 3-2 lead at 1:38 of the final 20 minutes of play. Again it was Goncalves (8) with Hagel (52) and Cirelli (29) getting the helpers.

Detroit tied the score at 12:59 forcing extra hockey. The Red Wings sealed the deal at 3:22 of OT to escape with the 4-3 OT triumph.

The Big Cat (37-20-5) and turned away 22 of 26 shots on goal to provide a point while suffering the hard luck loss.

GAME 80 SABRES 4 LIGHTNING 7

Tampa Bay came back from a first period deficit to explode with four second period goals to emerge victorious 7-4 Sunday over the Buffalo Sabres. The Bolts improved to 46-22-8 computing to 100 points. The Swords slipped to 35-38-7 for 77 points.  

The Lightning took a late 1-0 lead at 16:35 of the first period. F Jake Guentzel (39) slipped the puck over the goal line with Hagel (53) and Cirelli (30) providing the helpers.

The Sabres answered with two goals with less than a minute to play in the opening stanza at 19:37 followed by a marker 15 seconds later to take a 2-1 advantage at the first intermission.

The Buffalo lead was short lived as Tampa Bay exploded for four middle period scores. The first came at 3:02 with D Ryan McDonaugh (4) starting the scoring spree with Hagel (54) and Cirelli (31) logging the assists. That was followed at 6:34 when Kucherov (35) found the back of the net with Hedman (49) and F Yanni Gourde (22) registering the helpers. The third goal of the second stanza was provided by F Conor Geekie (7) at 14:21 with Goncalves (11) and F Nick Paul (19) recording the assists. The final goal of the period was scored by D Emil Lilliberg (1) with F Mitchell Chaffee (6) and Goncalves (12) being the contributors. That gave the Lightning a commanding 5-2 advantage after 40 minutes of play.

The Bolts made the 6-2 at 2:39 of the final period. Kucherov (36) recorded the unassisted tally, but the Swords answered with a power play goal of their own at 8:39.

Tampa Bay registered a power play marker as well at 13:12. Guentzel (40) changed the scoreboard with Kucherov (83) and Hagel (55) providing the helpers.

The Sabres finished scoring at 18:23 but it was too little and too late. The Bolts cruised the rest of the way for a 7-4 win.

G Jonas Johansson (9-5-3) secured the win stopping 21 of 25 shots on net.

GAME 81 PANTHERS 1 LIGHTNING 5

Tampa Bay concluded the home regular season at Amalie Arena with a 5-1 beating of the Florida Panthers Wednesday. The Bolts are now 47-26-8 and that computes to 102 points where the Cats slipped to 47-31-4 for 98 points.

It was all Lightning in the first 20 minutes of play. F Brayden Point (42) began the onslaught at 1:32 with Gourde (23) and D J.J. Moser (12) getting the puck to #21. That was followed at 15:25 by Geekie (8) lighting the lamp with Point (39) and Hedman (50) assisting. The final goal came at 18:09 when Guentzel (41) posted a shorthanded marker with Cirelli (32) providing the only helper. That would culminate the first period scoring with Tampa Bay holding a commanding 3-0 advantage.

The Bolts made it 4 zip at 4:42 of the middle period. Kucherov (37) registered the score with Gourde (24) and Point (40) recording then assists.

The Panthers finally found the back of the net at 5:36 to make the count 4-1. That would be all the scoring the visitors could mount.

The Lightning would put the icing on the cake at 11:22 of the final period with a power play goal. Raddysh (6) did the honors with Kucherov (84) and Hedman (51) credited with the helpers making the final count 5-1 in favor of the Blue & Black.

#86 (38-20-5) only allowed one of the 24 shots he face get behind him in the vistory.

ANALYSIS

*Lilleberg scored his first NHL goal becoming the second Norwegian-born defenseman to score a goal in National Hockey League history.

**Guentzel is the second player in franchise history to attain the 40-goal plateau in the initial season with the Lightning.

***Tampa Bay has recorded 25 goals in the first 5 minutes of play this campaign and that’s tops in the NHL.