Tampa Bay Lightning Beat Anaheim Ducks 5-3

When the team with the most points in the Western Conference plays against the team with the most points in the Eastern Conference you expect a good game. Maybe even a barn burner.

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The fast skating, high scoring Tampa Bay Lightning against the heavy Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are heavy in hits levelled out to opposing teams. They are heavy in penalty minutes especially on the road and they are heavy in blocked shots.

This match up was today’s NHL’s version of irresistible force meet immovable object. The fast team beat the heavy team. In a potential Stanley Cup preview, the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 5 – 1.

From the onset, the speed of the Lightning was too much for the visitors. Five seconds before the three minute mark of the first period, Brian Boyle opened the scoring by chipping in a beautiful feed from Victor Hedman to give the Bolts a quick 1 – 0 lead.

Throughout the initial period, it appeared that the Ducks simply could not match the speed and fore checking of the Lightning, as the majority of play was in their end. Not sure of the exact puck possession numbers but there was no doubt which team out played the other especially when Valtteri Filppula scored his eleventh goal of the season to increase their lead to 2 – 0.

The personification of the Tampa Bay Lightning speed was evident as the first period came to an end, when Tyler Johnson hit a nice 20 foot saucer pass right the stick blade of a streaking Nikita Kucherov to build up a 3 – 0 lead for Tampa.

The Lighting held a 10 to 4 shots on goal lead after one period and you knew the visiting team would come out in the second period with their best shot. Unlike the first period, there was actually a lot more play in the Tampa zone and a controversial goal by Anaheim’s captain, Ryan Getzlaf was finally allowed by the league’s Toronto office to cut Tampa’s lead to 3 – 1.

With a little more than five minutes remaining in the middle frame, a scrum broke out in front of Anaheim’s net and Brian Boyle scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season to bring Tampa’s cushion back up to three, 4 to 1.

You know a team as talented as Anaheim isn’t going to crawl away easily, they outshot the Lightning in the second 12 – 9. Luckily, the Bolts walked into the last intermission with their three goal lead intact. Again, everyone in the sellout crowd knew Anaheim was going to bring it in the final period.

True to that notion, the Ducks came out in the third dictating most of the play. Ben Bishop had to make several outstanding saves to keep Anaheim off the score sheet. Withstanding the Anaheim push, the top line of Steven Stamkos, Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula found themselves on a 3 on 1 break. Stamkos blistered a snap shot which Ducks goalie, Frederik Andersen saved but failed to control the rebound which Callahn slipped by him for a 5 to 1 lead.

After a couple of questionable penalties called against the home team, the Ducks were able to score a power play goal by Sami Vantanen to cut the lead to 5 – 2. Okay, five minutes left, should be a walk in the park. A couple of minutes later, Anaheim scores again to cut the lead to 5 – 3. Three minutes to go.

After a couple of big time penalty kills by the Lightning, they held off the Ducks mightily for the 5 – 3 victory. It doesn’t get any easier for the Lightning.

There is a new # 1 team (in points) in the Western Conference after the Ducks lost in this game. The Nashville Predators have 75 points and lead the Western Conference as well as the NHL and that is who the Lightning will play on a short one game road trip on Tuesday night.

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