Better effort in Boston still results in tough loss

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
November 27, 2016

Twenty minutes of road perfection evaporated in the second twenty minutes on Sunday .

Throughout the first period of Tampa Bay’s matinee at TD Garden, the Lightning did everything a road team wants to accomplish – control the puck, control the flow, keep the home fans quiet and wait for the right chance.

But the second period went strongly in favor of the home team as the Bruins erupted for three goals en route to handing the Lightning a 4-1 loss.

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It’s the second consecutive loss for Tampa Bay and third in the past four since winning four consecutive games.

Ben Bishop took the loss, stopping 26 shots while allowing four or more goals for the fifth time this season as his record dropped to 7-8.

Bishop could hardly be blamed, however, as breakdowns in front of him did little to offer the support the Lightning goaltender.

“Really, it was just a nothing game, we were having a good road game and then it basically was blown assignments,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “That’s the tough part. We lose the center on the first (goal). We were a little out of position on the penalty kill goal, and then we don’t make a hard play in front of the net, they tip it in and that was pretty much it. The big picture, the guys played hard. Every time we made a little mistake, they put it in the net and that’s tough.’’

After playing a sound, yet scoreless first period despite two power play chances, the Lightning imploded in the second period. Defenseman Slater Koekkoek missed an assignment on the opening goal as Dominic Moore swatted a puck out of the air down low past Bishop 2:24 in to the second period.

On a power play goal from David Backes, the Lightning got out-muscled in front of the net, not only allowing a perfect shooting lane for Torey Krug, but allowing Backes to get a stick on the puck for a perfect redirect to the inside of the post, which was cleared out at 12:30 for a 2-0 lead.

Then, to put the period in a full meltdown, Jimmy Hayes picked up not only his first goal of the season, but his first point to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead with 2:27 left in the second.

“You’ve got to feel for (Bishop) because that first period he was solid,’’ Cooper said. “There weren’t very many chances either way but he was commanding, he was playing the puck and then these bounces go in on him. That first one, you can’t allow two of their guys at the net and just have them swatting at pucks. We’ve got to help him out a little bit and I don’t know if we did.’’

If there was any bright spot to come from the game it was the play of Jonathan Drouin, who looked as strong as he has since returning from an injury that kept him out for seven games. Drouin was commanding with the puck, took control of things when he was on the ice and challenging defenders as he made his way up ice.
He finished with eight shots on goal and was a big part of Tampa Bay’s only goal as he weaved his way up ice and was the recipient of a pass attempt from Victor Hedman that deflected off a Bruins defender and was credited to Hedman with 2:39 left in the game to spoil the shutout bid of Tuukka Rask.

Despite the lopsided result on Sunday, coming off a lackluster showing in the previous game against Columbus, Cooper said he wasn’t displeased with the effort turned in by his players, just some of the plays.

“It was blown assignments and that’s what ultimately resulted in the pucks that went in the net,’’ he said. “By no means was it effort. Guys were gaming it out. They worked, it was just one of those games where everything they touched went in and nothing we touched went in. That’s it.’’

Postgame notes: D Anton Stralman missed his eighth consecutive game with an undisclosed upper-body injury, though he did take part in practice before the team left town. … RW J.T. Brown missed his third consecutive game with an upper body injury. … D Victor Hedman has points in four consecutive games. … Tampa Bay’s 13 road games on the season are tied for second most in the league through Nov. 27..

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