Tampa Bay Lightning Snap Losing Skid In Shootout Win Over Washington Capitals
The Tampa Bay Lightning ended their season-high four-game losing skid with a 2-1 shootout win over the high-flying Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
For the Tampa Bay Lightning, this was a game they sorely needed. They were on home ice for the first time in a week and were quickly losing ground in the Eastern Conference standings after losing four in a row.
A win against a team like the Washington Capitals would signal the tides were turning for a team who has fought tooth and nail, despite losing some of their most integral players to a series of injuries.
This game started off fairly well, as the Lightning collected two early opportunities with the man advantage. Even though they didn’t cash in, the zone time they received helped them get a little more in synch offensively. It also kept the Capitals top scorers on the bench longer.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Near the end of the first period, Mr. November, Nikita Kucherov, was sent in on a breakaway. Capitals netminder Braden Holtby, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, kicked his leg out to deny the talented Russian wingers attempt to break a scoreless tie.
Early in the middle frame, however, Kucherov got his revenge. With the Lightning on a power play, he took a perfectly placed pass from defenseman Victor Hedman and fired it past Holtby. 1-0 Bolts and they looked practically unstoppable.
Two penalties back-to-back ending the second period left the Tampa Bay Lightning gassed heading into the locker room.
It showed in the final 20 minutes, with the Capitals peppering goaltender Ben Bishop on numerous occasions.
As solid as Bishop was in this contest, it was only a matter of time before the Capitals struck back. This is especially true when you begin giving away power plays like they’re pieces of candy, something the Lightning did often during the final 30 minutes of this game.
Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that the Capitals were able to break through on the scoreboard. Just over six minutes into the third and on the man advantage, Nicklas Backstrom wristed the puck past Bishop from a sharp angle to knot the score at one apiece.
That score remained through overtime and into the shootout. At that point, it became the Bishop vs. Holtby show. Neither disappointed, with Bishop gaining the upper hand by stopping the final three shots he faced, including one on the always dangerous Alex Ovechkin.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, meanwhile, got goals from rookie shootout specialist Brayden Point and veteran Brian Boyle to win in four rounds. The one from Boyle could be shown on highlight reels tonight, as he stick-handled with one hand before putting his other hand on the stick to shoot.
While this was by no means a Picasso and there’s still work to be done (especially offensively), the Tampa Bay Lightning’s ability to play a structured game in their own zone and control play for large chunks of time is a step in the right direction. Now they must work on scoring more than once in regulation time.
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Yes, the losses of Ryan Callahan and, to a larger degree, Steven Stamkos, hurt the chemistry and offensive firepower this team is known for, there are others who can put the biscuit in the basket.
The Triplets line has done a lot for this team as a whole, but even then Kucherov is the only one scoring. The Lightning can’t continue relying on one guy, or one line, to produce offense until mid-March because that’s no way to win championships.
On the flip side, the defensive awareness and compete level must remain where it was against the Capitals, if not higher. The number of guys in position and battling for the puck is a welcome sight and could be the springboard these players need to start a winning streak.
For all the unfortunate bounces and (at times) unfair criticism he’s received this season, Bishop looked to be back to his usual self against the Capitals. He handled the puck freely, even passing it up ice when the opportunity presented itself, and allowed few rebounds in making 34 saves on 35 shot attempts.
The Tampa Bay Lightning don’t have much time to enjoy this victory though, as they travel to Raleigh to face the much improved Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow night. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m.
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With the Hurricanes coming off a regulation loss to the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon in New York, this is a game that might signal the beginning of an extended stay in the win column. All they need is continued urgency, top notch goaltending, and defensive awareness, along with a few goals.