Late giveaway lands Lightning in loss column

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
November 7, 2016

SUNRISE, Fla. – When momentum continues building and building, one misstep can bring the whole thing crashing down.

For most of the final two periods, the Lightning were on top of their game, skating and creating chances against the Florida Panthers. But with 4:28 left in the third period, Victor Hedman had his pocket picked in the defensive zone by Riley Smith, who beat Ben Bishop to the short side for the late game winner as Florida topped the Lightning 3-1 at BB&T Center.

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“Plays happen, but they cannot happen at that point in the game,’’ Hedman said. “I didn’t really see him until the last second, but at the same time you have to get rid of the puck quicker. You learn from it.’’

Tampa Bay held the Panthers without a shot on goal for the opening 8:45 of the third period and Florida had just five shots on goal in the final period until the Smith goal. Other than a couple of other ill-timed turnovers, the Lightning were in control of the play.

“Regardless of how momentum is going or how well you think you are playing, it’s how do you manage the puck in the last five minutes of a game and that’s what it comes down to,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “We did not manage it well and it ended up in the back of the net and a game that, for sure you think you are getting at least one (point) out of and maybe two, we get none. And that’s too bad.’’

An early power play goal from former Lightning forward Jonathan Marchessault – who scored his seventh of the season – put the Panthers ahead for most of the game until a gaffe by Alex Petrovic behind the Florida net early in the third tied the game on a goal awarded to Ondrej Palat.

As the Lightning have done so often this season, they started slow and built their game up and tilted the ice in their favor for good portions of the second and third period. Momentum was on Tampa Bay’s side only to be thwarted by Roberto Luongo.

Sometimes, when the game starts to feel good and the Lightning show confidence, it can lead to moments of overconfidence. While that is not always a bad thing, it can lead to momentary lapses of reason.

When Hedman came up the ice out of his own end, as he reached the blue line there were options – Nikita Kucherov right in front of him, Anton Stralman to his right and Steven Stamkos just above Stralman – to move the puck. Instead, Hedman curled underneath Kucherov and was ambushed by Smith, who was able to tap the puck off Hedman’s stick and move around Stralman to fire off a shot from inside the left shot that beat Bishop to the short side at the 15:32 mark.

“I learn from it, you can’t do that late in the game,’’ Hedman said. “It doesn’t matter if you are 18- or 25- or 30-years old, you have to learn. Same goes for me. You can’t beat yourself up too much because in this league games come very quickly.’’

Just as Hedman won’t beat himself up over the costly mistake, there won’t be any of that from inside the Lightning locker room either.

“Mistakes happen,’’ Cooper said. “You know Victor and how many plusses he has compared to minuses? If anybody, he’s probably going to beat himself up but he shouldn’t, stuff like that happens. Victor is on the plus side of plays way more than on the negative.’’

Postgame notes: C Valtteri Filppula was a surprise scratch after taking part in the morning skate. The team listed Filppula as day-to-day with an undisclosed lower body injury. … With Filppula out and Jonathan Drouin out for the third consecutive game, the Lightning used a lineup with seven defensemen and 11 forwards. … RW Cory Conacher was a healthy scratch. … Tampa Bay allowed the opening goal for the seventh time in 13 games on the season. … D Victor Hedman moved in to sole possession of seventh place on the all-time franchise list for games played at 483.

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