6
0
Everything but the finish.
WPG-3
TB-2 (OT)
Jonas Johansson allowed three goals on 32 shots for the OT loss. I thought he played one of his best games of the past two to three weeks tonight and just needed some more goal support to get the full result.
First Period
5:29 WPG Morrissey (3), (Demelo, Ehlers)
13:06 WPG Schiefele (7), (Morissey, Connor)(PP)
18:06 TB Stamkos (8), (Kucherov, Hedman)(PP)
Second Period
6:13 TB Point (8), (Hagel)
Third Period
NO SCORING
Overtime
1:39 WPG Lowry (3), (Pionk, Namestnikov)
Two really good teams. Big, fast teams that move the puck quite well. The Lightning had a bit more of the balance of the play and maybe deserved better, but Hellebuyck was good and I think the refs didn’t want to miss their flights so they swallowed their whistles and that hurts a team with a dominant power play like the Lightning.
The team did clinch a successful 10-game segment with 12 points in that span, but couldn’t get the extra point that would’ve put them dead onto playoff pace through two segments of the campaign. Would’ve been nice, but you cannot gripe too much after going 3-0-1 in the last four when the team was struggling so mightily just before that. Coach Cooper says Vasilevskiy’s about to return and that should give the Lightning an opportunity to get fully back on track, but they’ve done enough to make sure the hole they have to climb out of isn’t canyon-sized.
Darren Raddysh had 1 blocked shot in 21:00.
Cole Koepke had 1 shot and 4 hits in 6:39. I still think he’s kind of the American version of Merala, but with a touch more speed to get in and wreck havoc. He drew a penalty tonight, at least.
Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.
