Tampa Bay Lightning Lose to Chicago Blackhawks 3-2

The Tampa Bay Lightning had their six-game win streak snapped tonight by the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of six games in a row, entered the Madhouse on Madison – otherwise known as Chicago’s United Center – to play the Chicago Blackhawks tonight.

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This game featured the two teams that many predict will win their respective conferences next spring. The teams did not disappoint. This game had a playoff feel and intensity throughout three periods, a five minute overtime and a shootout. The Blackhawks won the game 3 – 2. Perhaps, this was a Stanley Cup preview. If it was, then there was no doubt some bad blood between the two started tonight.

This was a good test for the Bolts, who earned their 24th point in their 16th game. Tampa was being outplayed and pushed around by Chicago but they didn’t wilt. They fought back and actually opened the scoring on a short handed goal by rookie, Cedric Paquette.

In fact, about halfway through the first period, the Lightning were being outshot 11 – 1, but that one was Paquette’s which found the back of the net. Towards the end of the first period, Chicago had almost three times the shots that Tampa did and the frustration was starting to show when Chicago goalie, Corey Crawford took exception to Tyler Johnson standing in front of him and cross checked Johnson and took his legs out from under him.

All this did was to begin to intensify the hitting from both teams. When the first period ended, the Blackhawks led the Bolts in most categories except the most important one as the Lightning led 1 – 0.

In the second period, the Lightning picked up their pace a little and started pushing back. As bad as they started this game, they fought back against a team that has won the Stanley Cup twice in the last four years. The ‘Hawks came out and should have been up by three or four goals but for the play of Ben Bishop as well as the struggling penalty kill units. Tampa’s penalty killers were six for six tonight frustrating the home team along with Bishop’s stellar play.

About midway in the second period, former Lightning, Brad Richards scored a goal to tie the game at one. This goal was controversial, in my opinion, more so for the non call of an apparent goaltender interference. From this point on, the game began to get chippy as the hits were harder and players began slashing and shoving each other after each whistle. The second period ended tied at one. After a horrible first period, the Bolts played the Blackhawks fairly evenly in the middle period.

After killing an Eric Brewer penalty, the Bolts then gave up a goal when Niklas Hjalmarsson took an errant Radko Gudas pass, shot it on net, which was tipped past Bishop by Marcus Kruger to give Chicago a 2 – 1 lead.

As the final period was heading to its halfway point, the Lightning began looking like the team that had entered the building with a six game winning streak. They began to beat Chicago to the loose pucks. They began to maintain possession in Chicago’s zone. They began getting the puck on Crawford and with about 10 minutes left in regulation, Nikita Kucherov tied the game with a wicked wrist shot off a feed from Steven Stamkos. Jonathan Drouin also had an assist on the Kucherov goal.

After several good scoring chances by both teams, the game ended tied after the third period. Onto overtime. After the five minutes of OT, the game was still tied. Onto the shootout. Callahan tried the same move that worked Sunday in Detroit but apparently Crawford watches film and was ready for that shot. Jonathan Toews was first up for Chicago but was stopped on a beautiful leg save by Bishop.

Up next for Tampa was Nikita Kucherov who tried to go five hole on Crawford but was stopped. Patrick Kane then took the puck and lifted a nice back hand just out of Bishop’s reach to give Chicago the one goal lead in the shootout. Last chance for Tampa was captain, Steven Stamkos. It appeared that the puck got away a little from Stamkos and Crawford stopped the shot and the Lightning winning streak.

In a game where they were outplayed coming out of the locker room, the Bolts showed some heart. The penalty kill units probably played its best game of the season. There was a price, as the hitting from both teams intensified, Tyler Johnson took a cross check from Brent Seabrook early in the third period and never saw the ice again. No word yet on the severity of Johnson’s injury.

In this short three game road trip, the Lightning came away with five of the possible six points. That is success. This game hurt because they had their chances to steal a victory. But it was not to be.

Next game is Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. The Lightning will unveil their new third jersey, the black Bolts jersey. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had their six-game win streak snapped tonight by the Chicago Blackhawks.

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