5 Takeaways From The Lightning’s 4-2 Win Over The Canucks

The Tampa Bay Lightning faced the Vancouver Canucks for the first time in almost two years on Thursday night. The Lightning earned a hard-fought 4-2 victory on the night, with Nikita Kucherov putting up two points and Andrei Vasilevskiy keeping the Lightning alive with his spectacular play in net.

With such a great game, there are a lot of things to take away. Both offense and defense played very well throughout the game, but it was the goaltending that shined through the entirety of the game. Here are our five takeaways from Thursday night’s game.

1. Offense Still Very Dominant

This Lightning offense can’t be stopped, not even by the red-hot Canucks team, which has now gone 8-2-1 since hiring their new coach. Steven Stamkos recorded a goal on the powerplay and currently sits at 6th in point league wide and Kucherov has been dominant since returning from a long-term injury. If the Lightning can keep it up, their offense would arguably be the best in the league.

2. Vasilevskiy is Amazing

Everybody already knew this, but it’s good to say it. Vasilevskiy has been amazing this season despite issues with injuries, covid, and messed-up lines from the Lightning. With an impressive .924% save, it’s almost guaranteed that Vasilevskiy will be a nominee for the Vezina trophy, which is awarded to the best goaltender in the league.

3. Defense Still Needs Work

The defense has been a concern by Lightning fans for the entirety of the season, as it seems like pairings have been constantly being forced to change. Hedman has only recently played like his normal self, but other defenders like Cal Foote and Mikhail Sergachev have had their struggles all season, putting the Lightning in a tough position when it comes to defense. They will be helped out significantly when Ryan McDonagh comes back and provides some stability.

4. Not Many Changes Need to be Made

The Lightning are feeling like the team we all remember well from the 2019-20 season, where the Lightning won their first of two back-to-back cups. Many things are near perfect, with the offense needing no work done to it, goaltending having little issues, and coaching staff still being some of the best in the league. However, what does need to be changed is the defense. If the Lightning can acquire another defenseman at the trade deadline, they will be able to fix a lot of the defensive issues. With the cap being as tight as it is, it will be difficult to do.

5. The Next Few Games Won’t Be Easy

While it may not look that bad if you take a look at the schedule, it’s going to be a very tough rest of the month. The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks have had their hot streaks this season, and both are currently going through a very dominant one. The Anaheim Ducks are one of the best teams in the league, and the Vegas Golden Knights have been dominant from the moment they entered the league. The Lightning need to be ready for a tough battle, especially with the Kings on Tuesday night, and the Dallas Stars on Saturday night at home