Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy earns his sixth straight win and first shutout of the season in the Lightning’s 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a stellar run going just one game ago. The Tampa Bay Lightning cultivated a seven-game win streak that culminated with a 2-1 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, essentially snapping the Hawks’ 12-game win streak. The Lightning would find their own win streak snapped just one game later by their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers.
Tonight, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a special opportunity in front of them. Not only did they have an opportunity to get things back on track before the hockey world stops spinning for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, but they had an opportunity to bring home a much-needed two points against an Atlantic Division rival the Bolts are all-too-familiar with, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The first period of play was all about the Tampa Bay Lightning. From the moment the puck was dropped at center ice, the Lightning dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs as if they were simply taking shooting practice at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum.
Just before the four minute mark in the period, the Tampa Bay Lightning would find themselves on the very first Power Play opportunity of the night as Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak was sent to the penalty box for two minutes for Delay of Game. The Tampa Bay Lightning wasted absolutely no time in capitalizing on the opportunity presented to them.
A mere 39 seconds would pass before Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos would strike, sending the puck flying past Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier to give the Tampa Bay Lightning the early lead. This would serve as the captain’s 21st goal of the season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning would get two more opportunities with the man advantage, but unlike their first opportunity the Lightning would not be able to capitalize on the other two opportunities. On the bright side, the Lightning were able to subdue any offense the Maple Leafs would attempt to bring during the first period of play.
Just about 12:25 would pass in the first period of play before the Toronto Maple Leafs would register their very first shot on goal. By this time in the game, the Tampa Bay Lightning had already scored one goal and registered 13 shots on goal. When the buzzer would sound to end the first period, the Tampa Bay Lightning would outshoot the Maple Leafs 17-6.
As the final minutes ticked off the clock in the first period, there was one thing the Tampa Bay Lightning needed to be mindful of is the Toronto Maple Leafs seemed to be waking up. If the Lightning were going to continue the success they found in the first period, they were going to have to make a few adjustments in the second period of play.
When these two teams took the ice for the second period of play, the game took an interesting turn. Unfortunately, by interesting we mean awful turn. Just three minutes into the second period of play, the Tampa Bay Lightning almost lost one of their key players to what could have been a very dangerous injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Frank Corrado lined up Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat and made a clear run at Palat’s head. As you can imagine, Corrado was dissatisfied with the penalty, but when all was said and done Corrado was sent off for two minutes for Interference. Not quite sure that’s the correct call there, but we’ll take what we can get.
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Ondrej Palat did head down the tunnel to be evaluated by Tampa Bay Lightning Head Athletic Trainer Tom Mulligan, but thankfully Palat was able to make his way back to the Lightning bench without and real incident.
It will most certainly be interesting to see if anything comes from this tomorrow morning from the NHL Department of Player Safety. It seemed pretty cut and dry from where we were sitting, but it’s not our opinion that matters in this particular case.
This was not the end of the penalties between these two teams. The next player to find themselves with a one-way ticket to the sin bin was Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov would be accused of embellishment. Usually, we try to give the referees the benefit of the doubt before blowing our lid, but if this was embellishment, we are the Queen of England.
Just a few moments later, each team would wind up with a man heading to the penalty box. Lightning center Brian Boyle would be called for two minutes for High Sticking Leafs center Nazem Kadri. It would be Kadri who was sent off for the Leafs for Slashing Boyle. This one turned out to be a wash for both teams.
As the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves approaching the final five minutes of play in the period, the Maple Leafs decided to give the Lightning yet another chance with the man advantage. Leafs right wing PA Parenteau would nail J.T. Brown in the face with his stick, sending Brown to the ground. Needless to say, Parenteau would get two minutes in the box for this one.
Never to be outdone, the Tampa Bay Lightning would sit in the box for two minutes of their own. Lightning center Cedric Paquette would repeatedly nail captain Dion Phaneuf in the back side of the glove. This would give the Maple Leafs one final opportunity with the man advantage prior to the end of the period.
Despite all the time spent in the penalty box, neither team was able to capitalize on their opportunity with the man advantage. The main difference between this and the first period of play is that the Maple Leafs seemed to be much more aware and ready to play.
Unlike the first period of play, this time it would be the Maple Leafs who would outshoot their opponent. The Maple Leafs outshot the Lightning 11-5 in the second period, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome the Lightning’s two period total. Through two periods of play, the Tampa Bay Lightning would outshoot the Toronto Maple Leafs 22-17.
Much to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s detriment, the third period of play would start off the exact same way as the second period would just 20 minutes earlier. The Toronto Maple Leafs seemed to control the pace of the game, outshooting the Lightning 7-2 through the halfway point in the third period. One of the most concerning things about this situation is the Lightning had a Power Play opportunity in that time frame.
One of the main reasons the Tampa Bay Lightning has been able to safeguard their lead this far into the game is the stellar performance of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Had a lesser goaltender been in net tonight, there is a pretty good chance we would be looking at a much different game in over the course of the last period and a half.
Just around the 13 minute mark in the period, the Tampa Bay Lightning would create a tremendous scoring chance at the hands of Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, but Bernier would hold strong and keep the puck out of the back of the net.
Both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs would do everything they could to put the puck in the back of the net, but despite the opportunities in front of them, neither team was able to get the job done in the third period. Despite the masterful performance by Jonathan Bernier, it would be Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy would walk away with the shutout and bring home the two points for the Bolts.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning still struggled to find any sort of consistency throughout a 60 minute hockey game, but their persistence in the first period set the tone and opened the door for their Power Play Goal in the first period, the goal that ultimately turned out to be the game winner.
We have to tip our hats to both Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonathan Bernier. Had it not been for the skill of both of these young netminders, we would have been looking at a very different outcome from tonight’s game.
Now, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and goaltender Ben Bishop will be headed to Music City to take part in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game in Nashville. After that, the Tampa Bay Lightning will once again open the doors to the Amalie Arena. This time, they will be playing host to another Atlantic Division rival, the Detroit Red Wings. The puck will drop at 8:00 p.m.
Next: Steven Stamkos Draws First Blood Against The Maple Leafs (Video)
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