Tampa Bay Lightning Score Late, Defeat Carolina Hurricanes To End Skid

1. 109. 2. 23. Final

It took a lifetime, or at least over 59 minutes of tight checking hockey, but the Tampa Bay Lightning finally ended their recent losing skid with a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

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The Bolts came into this game on a mission, having dropped two straight on Amalie Arena ice for the first time this season. Losing three in a row, especially at home and knowing what looms ahead, wasn’t ideal.

Starts were the biggest bugaboo for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their latest defeats. Consistently caught off guard from the get-go, they found themselves in the unfamiliar role of having to play catch up. Not a recipe for success anywhere, let alone the highly competitive NHL.

As a result, they entered Thursday nights game seeking a better jump out of the gate. The Lightning certainly had that, registering six of the first seven shots on goal. It looked like the floodgates were about to open, rendering any hurricane force winds Carolina had virtually useless.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Cam Ward provided more than enough wind to keep the Bolts at bay. He had a shutout going against the league’s most prolific offense, one which came in averaging nearly 3.5 goals per game, for 45 minutes.

Penalties also sucked momentum away from the home team. They survived, thanks in large part to the Hurricanes inability to score, but against top competition like Pittsburgh, Washington and the New York Islanders discipline will be a key factor in deciding who comes out on top.

Making a rare start not in a back-to-back situation, Evgeni Nabokov was on point as well. He stopped 29 of 30 shots altogether, including a barrage during the Lightning’s first period parade to the penalty box.

With the two netminders matching each other save for save, there was no doubt this game would be decided on a few lucky bounces.

On the tail end of a rare power play opportunity, and with Ward behind the net, a funny bounce off the end boards sent the puck in front where Nikita Kucherov stood. He calmly fired it into the open net, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning an 1-0 lead.

Five and a half minutes later, Justin Faulk sent a puck towards the net. It deflected off Victor Hedman‘s skate and past Nabokov to tie the game at one apiece.

Overtime looked to be on the horizon, as there was under a minute remaining in regulation. Then, like a gust of wind, Kucherov unleashed a shot that bounced off Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey and into the net behind a stunned Ward.

It was 2-1 and things inside Amalie Arena were beginning to look up. 29 more seconds and the team could finally head home for one last good night sleep in their own beds before starting a long five game, 10 day road trip leading up to Christmas week. 29 more seconds and the party deck would become a dance floor for jubilant fans that hadn’t been able to party for the past week.

Mission accomplished, as the team successfully kept Carolina off the scoreboard in those final few seconds. Victory belonged to the Bolts, 2-1, and they relished in it for a few minutes.

A few things which stood out to me from this game was the overall effort offensively and the lack of discipline. 27 shots on goal? Are you kidding me? That’s got to improve. I don’t care whether a teammate might have a better shot than you. SHOOT THE DANG PUCK!!!! You never know what could happen. Watch Kucherov’s goals from this game and use them as proof.

The penalties? Yeah. If you don’t clean up that area of things, there could be more long nights ahead. Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares will see to it.

Speaking of Ovechkin, the Tampa Bay Lightning start their long road trip against him and his teammates up in the nations capital on Saturday night. Puck drop’s set for 7:00 p.m.

What did you think of tonight’s win over the Hurricanes? Who stood out to you as being on their game? What are your thoughts regarding the sudden offensive cold spell? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

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