Bolts by the Bay
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Tampa Bay Lightning Battle Vancouver To Earn 4-1 Victory

By Dan Herrejon

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4. 23. Final. 1. 104

There is an old adage about the immovable object meeting the irresistible force. The NHL schedule makers served that up for us tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning riding a 2 game winning streak and winners of seven of their last ten games face the equally hot Vancouver Canucks, who come to Amalie Arena with a three game win streak of their own.

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I am not really sure if the referee in tonight’s game actually said “Gentleman, start your engines” as he dropped the puck, but based on the way the two teams played, it sure wouldn’t surprise me. Despite the quick pace, it took nearly four minutes for Nikita Kucherov to get the first shot on net for either team.

Making his NHL debut was defenseman, Luke Witkowski who got into a quick scrum in front of the Lightning net with Canucks agitator, Derek Dorsett. Nice sign that young Luke didn’t back down and played a good game.

In the opening period, the Lightning had two early power play chances but managed only one shot on goal in those four power play minutes. Hard to say whether it was the lack of movement or the horrible puck possession as the main factor in the unproductive power play. In either case the period ends with the Lightning getting another power play with seven seconds left so they’ll start in great shape in the second period.

Second period starts, Bolts have an extra man for the first minute fifty three then the wheels come off. In the next minute and a half, the Lightning are whistled for three, yes three penalties. Not only negating the man advantage they had coming in the period, but forcing a five on three favoring Vancouver.

Unsure whether it was the ineptitude of Vancouver’s power play or the fortitude of Tampa’s penalty kill but the game was still scoreless through a period and a half. With about seven minutes left in the period, the Lightning scored when Valtteri Filppula handled a bouncing puck right in front of Vancouver goalie, Ryan Miller and controlled it beautifully while directing it right over Miller’s left shoulder to score the game’s first goal.

Entering the third period, with the slimmest 1–0 lead, it seemed this was going to be a nail biter. Eleven seconds into the final stanza, Alex Killorn wristed a blast over the right shoulder of Ryan Miller to give the Lightning a 2–0 cushion. A little over four minutes later, Brett Connolly skated darn near 200 feet to avoid an icing call and kept the puck alive for the Bolts in the Canucks zone, ultimately feeding Brian Boyle in the slot, who one timed a goal through Miller’s five hole for a 3-0 lead which seemed to take the energy away from the visitors.

The energy loss did not last long however. Victor Hedman took a vicious slap shot from the top of the left circle which Vancouver defenseman, Kevin Bieksa caught flush on his glove and immediately skated off to the dressing room. This seemed to re-energize the Canucks as they scored a couple minutes later on a shot by Frank Corrado for his first goal of the season.

Reducing the Lightning lead to 3 – 1, the Canucks continued to apply the pressure on the Lightning, working their cycle hard in the Bolts zone and getting quite a few shots on Ben Bishop. With both teams off for the All Star Break after this game, it was clear that both teams were going to leave it all on the ice tonight.

In fact, with just under five minutes left in the game and the Lightning on the penalty kill, the Canucks pulled Ryan Miller from the net to give them a 6 – 4 man advantage. Even after the Lightning killed the penalty, Vancouver kept Miller on the bench and Tampa missed a couple of opportunities to get the early empty netter.

After those close chances, Miller returned to the game briefly after a puck stoppage and ensuing faceoff but was quickly brought back to the bench. Sure enough after some good back checking in the neutral zone, Alex Killorn scored his second goal of the game, an empty net goal to give the Lightning a 4 – 1 lead that would hold up to be the final score.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are off for a week during the All Star Break. They are scheduled to play the Carolina Hurricane on the road next Tuesday. The game will be nationally televised on NBCSN.

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