Tampa Bay Lightning fall short in first preseason effort
The Tampa Bay Lightning fought a good fight, but fell short 4-1 in their first preseason effort against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The moment fans have been patiently (or impatient, as it were) has finally arrived. The Tampa Bay Lightning took the ice for the first time this season to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in their first preseason encounter. Unfortunately, things did not exactly go according to plan for the Bolts.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Lightning would wind up on the business end of a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Hurricanes. The game was not a total loss for the Bolts as there were quite a few highlights for the team, but they simply couldn’t seal the deal.
One of the most memorable highlights of tonight’s encounter with the Carolina Hurricanes was the Lightning’s lone goal of the night. It may have taken a little over two periods for the Lightning to make their presence known in the game, but when they did it was a big one for the team and the fans.
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Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Mathieu Joseph picked up his first goal of the preseason in the third period, which was met with overwhelming cheers from Lightning fans happy to see the boys in blue officially make their mark on the game.
Regrettably, this would be the one and only time the Lightning would hit the back of the Hurricanes net. The reason for this could be attributed to one single statistic. The Hurricanes outshot the Lightning in every single period, resulting in the Bolts being outshot 35-17 by the end of the third period.
This is an issue the Lightning dealt with a lot over the course of their 25th Anniversary Season. Hopefully, as the final roster begins to take shape and the Lightning prepare to officially kick off the 2018-19 season; this issue will become a thing of the past.
The Lightning roster is going to undergo a lot of changes between now and the start of the regular season. There are a few spots open and a plethora of talented players ready to make the transition to the NHL on a more full-time basis. Being loaded with talent and having a number of players fighting for a spot on the team is definitely a good problem for a team to have.
The Tampa Bay Lightning may have lost their first battle, but this is just one of many battles to be waged throughout the course of the season. As most Lightning fans know, preseason is the point where Head Coach Jon Cooper can play with the roster and the line combinations to put together the best possible team.
This is one of the most exciting times of the season, with the exception of the postseason, of course. Hockey is back and fans have an opportunity to see the players they know and love take the ice with some of the players fans don’t always get to see during the regular season play together as one.
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Tomorrow night, the Tampa Bay Lightning takes the ice to do battle once again with the Carolina Hurricanes. This time, the action will take place at the PNC Arena in Raleigh. All the action will once again be available streaming on the Lightning’s official website.