Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Even The Series At Home
By Will Clewis
The Tampa Bay Lightning looked lost and confused in a whirlwind of a Game 3 at Amalie Arena, as goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy had to fend for himself under a barrage of shots from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Despite the quick start in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning could not maintain consistent pressure on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the duration of the game. Overall poor play, costly turnovers, and unlucky penalties resulted in a 4-2 loss in regulation on Wednesday night.
Those three descriptions above signal a recipe for defeat, and that is just what happened. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made a valiant effort to keep the Lightning in the game, but when the opposition fires 48 shots in your direction, it’s tough to keep each one out. Many people outside the fan base might blame the result on the young net-minder, but those who closely follow the team know he isn’t to blame for the outcome.
After the overtime defeat in Game 2, there was much speculation on how the Lightning would rebound from the emotional roller coaster in Pittsburgh on Monday, especially since the team would be on home ice for the next two games. With every player available for use excluding Ben Bishop and Steven Stamkos, the Lightning entered Wednesday night with a 5-1 record on home ice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Lightning stormed out to a 6-2 shot advantage early on in the first period and had a few opportunities to take a 1-0 lead, including a dangerous chance from defenseman Anton Stralman off a Matt Murray rebound created by Jonathan Marchessault three minutes into the game. From there, both teams traded chances in the opening period, but it was the Penguins that took control as the game progressed.
More from Lightning News
- Tampa Bay Lightning: Maxim Groshev Stands Out at Rookie Showcase
- Mikhail Sergachev hints a renewed vigor for the Tampa Bay Lightning
- How will Tyler Motte fit in with the Tampa Bay Lightning?
- Darren Raddysh Looks to Have Inside Track for Tampa Bay Lightning
- What does Brandon Hagel’s deal mean for the Tampa Bay Lightning?
Pittsburgh forwards Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel and defenseman Trevor Daley each had opportunities to put his team up in the first period. Fortunately for the Lightning, the period ended with zeros on the scoreboard. However, a spirited effort from the Penguins resulted in a 21-6 shot advantage in the second period and the chance to celebrate when the buzzer sounded at the end of the game.
Now the Penguins have a chance to take a dominant 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final. There’s no doubt they will go into Game 4 with a high level of determination, already having gone through a similar situation in the prior series with the Washington Capitals.
But, the Lightning won’t let the Penguins get off that easily, especially with an electric home crowd behind them.
It will take a determined effort from the Lightning, though, and any little mistake or costly turnover could lead to an unfavorable result for the team looking to climb back in this series.
More lightning: Vasy Smashes Stick In Utter Frustration (Video)
In order for the Lightning to create some much needed momentum and even the series at two, there are three keys things the team will have to fulfill in tonight’s almost must-win Game 4 at Amalie Arena.
First of all, the Lightning defenders will have to do a better job mitigating the potent attack of Pittsburgh’s third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel. The trio has been on a tear this postseason and is one of the main reasons for the Penguins’ success in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kessel, who didn’t have much playoff experience prior to this season, is essentially averaging a point per game and has 37 points in 36 career playoff games. That’s pretty incredible for a guy who’s played most of his career in Toronto and appeared in only 22 playoff games with the Maple Leafs and Bruins prior to this.
In addition to that, the nicknamed “HBK” line is creating dangerous scoring chances and firing off shots at the Lightning net-minders. Let’s take a look at some enhanced statistics provided by NHL.com. In Game 3, the HBK line finished in the top four in SAT% and USAT% (Fenwick) and emerged with five points combined. Basically, the three forwards had the highest percentage of shots, blocked shots, and shots that missed the net (Corsi%) relative to the total amount of shots. Kessel and Hagelin also combined for 14 shots on goal, which is ten more than what Tyler Johnson and Ryan Callahan managed on net, tied for most on the Lightning in Game 3.
Not so surprising to many, the HBK line also finished in the top four in 5 on 5 shooting percentage, each hovering around 12% on the night. Essentially, the trio isn’t afraid to shoot, pass the puck, and generate quality scoring chances when given the chance and that was on full display in Game 3. This line has developed incredible chemistry and the Lightning will need to control and break them up in order to have success in managing the game.
Live Feed
Puck Prose
Secondly, the Lightning need to score the first goal of the game and grab an early lead so that the team isn’t trailing for extended periods of time. They’ve had success when scoring first in these playoffs, going 6-4 despite the two wild games in Brooklyn during the New York Islanders series.
Having an early lead will allow them to control the game with some ease and drive possession, unless they sit back and play extended shifts in their own zone, like what happened in Game 3 when the Penguins cycled the puck for three and a half minutes at one point in the second period. Doing that could lead to an unfavorable shift in momentum and possibly result in a goal.
Finally, in order for the Lightning to emerge with a win tonight, they will have to avoid taking unnecessary penalties and stay out of the box because the Penguins can certainly take advantage. But, the Lightning have done well killing off penalties in the playoffs and if the PK unit holds up, that will only improve the situation.
On the other side of the special teams, the Lightning was dismal on the man advantage for a majority of the regular season and it has been unsuccessful for most of the postseason as well. If the team can get that unit firing on all cylinders, the Power Play might become a deciding factor in this series. That is, of course, if they can draw a penalty.
There you have it. Those are just a few keys that the Tampa Bay Lightning need to keep in mind once the puck drops in Game 4. Will they follow through? Maybe not. But if they do, there could very well be a tied series headed back to the Steel City.
Next: Andrei Vasilevskiy Stood Strong Despite Loss
The game will again be broadcast nationally on NBCSN with puck drop slated for 8 P.M.