Tampa Bay Lightning Highlights: Tyler Johnson Capitalizes On Power Play (Video)
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson wasted no time getting back in the action after missing two games to an undisclosed injury.
The Tampa Bay Lightning got off to a rather good start tonight against the Dallas Stars; especially after coming off of a week-long break. Given the situation the team finds themselves in at the moment, every point counts. Thankfully, the Lightning seemed to be making the most of their current situation.
Just three minutes into the first period, Lightning would strike when defenseman Victor Hedman would pick up his ninth goal of the season to open up the scoring for the Bolts. Thankfully, the Tampa Bay Lightning weren’t satisfied with one lone goal. This brings us to just past the halfway point in the game.
At 10:40 in the period, the Tampa Bay Lightning would find themselves with their first Power Play opportunity of the night as Stars defenseman Esa Lindell found himself with a one-way ticket to the sin bin for High Sticking Lightning forward Gabriel Dumont.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Little did everyone know, this is where things were about to get interesting for the Tampa Bay Lightning. It all starts behind the Lightning net where Victor Hedman would start the play as he sped through the defensive zone. Just as he makes his way into the neutral zone, he passes the puck forward to Brayden Point.
Without missing a single beat, Point takes control of the puck and speeds into the offensive zone. Just before making his way in front of the net, Point passed the puck across the front of the net to Tyler Johnson. The puck bounced a little, but Johnson was skillfully able to control the puck and, in the same stride, beat Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen on the stick side.
Coming into tonight’s game against Dallas, there were some questions as to whether or not Tyler Johnson would be on top of his game. As most Lightning fans know by now, Johnson was forced to miss two games with an undisclosed injury. This is in addition to the week-long break the Lightning just finished.
A long break can be a double-edged sword. For some, it is a chance to heal an aching body and recover from any nagging injuries. At the same time, it is the perfect environment for rink rust to build up and tarnish a player’s rhythm. Thankfully, Johnson embodied the first option in lieu of the second.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning undoubtedly have a long road in front of them if they hope to salvage the remainder of the season; however, if they can continue to play the way they have over the course of the last couple of games, the team will definitely find themselves on the right track.