5 Takeaways from the Lightning’s 6-3 Win in Chicago

The Tampa Bay Lightning opened their season long six game road trip in Chicago, taking on Tyler Johnson and the Blackhawks who were playing their second game of a back-to-back. In the first meeting of the season between these division rivals from a season ago, Tampa Bay hung up three goals in both the second and third periods for a 6-3 win at the United Center.

Let’s break down what happened.

1. Another Poor Start

The troubling trend of late for the Lightning continued again Sunday night. Another slow start to the game in which the Lightning were sloppy with the puck and were scrambling for much of the period in their own end. Ultimately, Tampa Bay was fortunate to get out of the first period, trailing just 1-0.

2. Big Night for the Defense.

In the six-goal outing, Lightning defensemen accounted for eight points in all. Cal Foote scored his second career goal and added an assist for the first multi-point game of his career. Victor Hedman tallied a pair of slap-shot goals and Mikhail Sergachev added a goal to go along with two assists. Sergachev now has a goal in three of his last four games.

3. Raddysh Bumps the Slump

Taylor Raddysh opened the score for Tampa Bay in the second period to level things at a goal apiece. After being a healthy scratch last game, Raddysh recorded his first goal since December 14th by batting a puck out of the air on his backhand. When he scored his first career goal early in December, he would go on score four goals in six games. So, we’ll see if he is able to keep the momentum going offensively.

4. Vasilevskiy Robbery

Despite allowing three goals, Andrei Vasilevskiy was guilty of grand larceny on several occasions in this one. He made a number of big saves including two absolute jaw droppers. He robbed Chicago’s Kirby Dach in the first period by getting the shaft of his stick on the one timer and also took one away from Patrick Kane at the side of the net in the third period with a cross-crease glove save.

5. Striking Quickly in the Third

Tampa Bay went into the third leading just 3-2. It quickly became 6-2 as Tampa Bay would strike for three goals in 32 seconds, a franchise record. Hedman, Sergachev and Corey Perry accounted for the three tallies that would be a death blow to Chicago in the third as they took a four-goal lead, all before the three-minute mark of the period.