Jon Cooper’s tactics work out for Tampa Bay Lightning win over Ottawa

The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up their first road win of the season with a 6-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Brayden Point had a hat trick, Nikita Kucherov had five points, and the Bolts picked up two points and are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division with 13 points through 11 games.

Considering what Jon Cooper started the game with, the big night for Point and Kucherov was far from automatic.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Seeing new people

Perhaps unhappy from their third-period collapse against Columbus, Cooper mixed and matched the forward lines to start the game. Point was paired up with Brandon Hagel and Michael Eyssimont, while Kucherov was put with Alex Barre-Boulet and Anthony Cirelli.

The new partnerships didn’t last long, and Point and Kucherov were eventually placed with Hagel for the majority of the night.

The line scored three goals during 5 v 5 play while only giving up one.

Stamkos line has big night

They didn’t score any goals, but the line of Steven Stamkos, Nick Paul, and Connor Sheary were buzzing all night long.

In 11 minutes of 5 v 5 ice time together, the line generated 17 shot attempts while only surrendering nine against.

Their 11 scoring chances accounted for 42% of the even-strength scoring chances the Tampa Bay Lightning had.

No third period collapse this time

Thanks to a late second-period goal by Point, the Lightning took a 4-1 lead into the third period. Ottawa tried to make a push and outshot Tampa 12-6 in the final frame. Claude Giroux scored an early third-period goal to make it 4-2, and Tampa was able to hang on until Point collected his hat-trick goal to make it 5-2.

The Senators responded right away with a Brady Tkachuk to make it 5-3, but Kucherov was able to make it 6-3 just 16 seconds later.

Even still, Ottawa got a third goal in the period to create the final scoreline of 6-4.

Tampa will be happy they won, but their turtling act in the third period could have gone south once again. Jonas Johansson collected the win, but gave up four goals on an expected goals of 2.91.