5 Takeaways from the Lightning’s 5-2 Win over Ottawa

Coming off the big stage of their Stadium Series victory in Nashville on Saturday, it would be reasonable to expect the Tampa Bay Lightning to not be ready from the jump in their next game back. Especially with the struggling Ottawa Senators in town, the energy and interest level at the start of the game from Tampa Bay would certainly be a question mark.

Going down early in this one, Tampa Bay came back with 5 unanswered goals to surge to their fifth straight win. Tampa Bay responded emphatically and asserted their superiority over a Senators team who always plays them tough.

Let’s break down how it happened.

1. Poor Start.

This was a classic trap game and Tampa Bay did not have their best from the get-go. Ottawa went ahead 2-0 before the four-minute mark of the first on both of their first two shots on goals. The goals came on a slick redirection in front and a perfect shot, just about the only ways to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy. If Ottawa did not have their attention before, they certainly got it early.

2. Point’s Big Night

Brayden Point recorded a goal and three assists in the victory for a four-point night. Point now has six points in the last three games and points in seven straight. Point’s goal in the first period brought the Lightning back level at two as the team began to wake up.

3. Storming Back.

After going down 2-0 early, the Lightning would quickly respond and head into the first period level. Things started to turn in their favor when the game heated up physically later in the first. There were multiple skirmishes that occurred, seemingly all of them involving Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk. The physical play really played into the Lightning’s game and got them right back in fight now that the Senators had really gotten the attention of Tampa Bay.

4. Not Letting Ottawa Back in

After their two early goals, Tampa Bay did not give the Senators anything the rest of the way. Even after the Lightning went ahead, they continued to dominate much of the possession and kept the puck in their offensive zone and kept Ottawa from being able to generate many dangerous chances toward the Lightning net.

5. Nashville Crew at it Again

Point, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos recorded the three Lightning goals in Nashville on Saturday and the same three guys scored the first three goals in this win. Stamkos got the third goal again for what would be his second straight game winning goal. This trio have combined for 13 points in the last two games and have accounted for six of the eight goals in the pair of games.