Tampa Bay Lightning fail to end emotional night on a high note

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 13, 2017

Tampa, Fla. – The night was electric. The scene was set.

The Lightning had all the fuel they needed to start a strong surge after an emotional and stirring pregame ceremony to retire the jersey of former captain Marty St. Louis.

For the opening 20 minutes, it was the right jolt of energy. But it fizzled out once again as the Lightning found themselves back in the loss column after a 3-1 setback to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

{mprestriction ids=”1,2″}Tampa Bay lost in regulation for the fifth time in the past six games and failed to win back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 20-22. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28-of-30 shots but suffered his fifth consecutive loss in net.

It marked the first time this season in six games that Tampa Bay failed to pick up at least a point when tied heading in to the third period.

It didn’t matter that Tampa Bay put forth a strong effort a night after playing the Buffalo Sabres at home. It didn’t matter that the Lightning fed off the energy of the pregame ceremony and outshot the Blue Jackets 19-6 in the opening period.

It didn’t matter that Vasilevskiy, who had his struggles while Ben Bishop was out, played his best game in a while.

The time for moral victories is long gone.

”It’s all about results,’’ forward Brian Boyle said. “It’s a result business and we didn’t get it. There’s too many of that.’’

Jonathan Drouin scored his 13th goal of the season at 16:18 of the first period, giving Tampa Bay at least some pay off for the dominant showing in the first period against the top team in the league. Drouin weaved his way to the bottom of the left circle area, finishing off a backhand pass from Valtteri Filppula and beating Joonas Korpisalo, the surprise starter in net for the Blue Jackets after expected starter Sergei Bobrovsky came down ill.

But that was the highlight of the game on a night filled with so many of them during the pregame ceremony to honor the 13-year-career of St. Louis in a Lightning uniform.

The Blue Jackets regrouped and took over the game in the second period, outshooting Tampa Bay 16-7 in the middle frame, getting their payoff to tie the game late in the period was Josh Anderson took advantage of a fluky bounce that fooled Vasilevskiy. Anderson was at the top of the crease to put home the loose puck with 3:20 left in the second period.

” I thought we started the right way in the first,’’ Drouin said. “We were skating, we were dictating the play but we sold out a bit in the second and gave them a couple of chances and you know a team like that, who’s been hot all season, you can’t let down and I think we did that in the second.’’

Yet, it was still a tie game heading in to the third period and the game was still there for the taking to allow Tampa Bay to try and cap off a special night with a victory, or at least a positive result in some capacity.

Down low defensive zone coverage, however, burned Tampa Bay yet again while on the penalty kill. Nick Foligno was left unchecked on top of the crease where he was able to push home a rebound off a Zach Werkenski point shot fought off by Vasilevskiy at 4:29. The Blue Jackets were able to cash in on their power play chance while Tampa Bay was turned aside on its chance with 3:04 left in the game.

”Ultimately, it came down to special teams,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “They got the big goal on the power play, and we couldn’t kill it off. And then we couldn’t get the power-play goal when we needed it at the end.’’

Postgame notes: RW J.T. Brown was placed on injured reserve with an upper body injury. .. Tampa Bay called up RW Erik Condra from Syracuse as added depth for the upcoming six-game road trip. Condra was a healthy scratch … Tampa Bay fell to 0-3-3 in the past six back-to-back games. … Drouin increased his scoring streak to four games.

My three stars:
1.Blue Jackets G Joonas Korpisalo – Stopped 31 shots, including 18 in the first period

2.Blue Jackets D Zach Werkensi – Assist on winning goal, five shots, two blocked shots

3.Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Finished with 28 saves, 15 in the second period