Bishop plus gritty team effort lift Tampa Bay Lightning to victory

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
January 16, 2017

Déjà vu, all over again.

The Tampa Bay Lightning started another game missing a key player as a surprise scratch. Then, once again, a strong start was negated after a mistake led to the opening goal against on the opposing team’s first shot of the game.

Certainly that’s not the ideal way to try and start off a critical six-game road trip.

But, in a different sort of déjà vu, the Lightning looked like the team that has played deep in to the postseason the past two seasons, with the same defensive mindset that has brought the team success.

In the end, the Lightning started off an important six-game road trip with a well-earned 2-1 victory against Los Angeles at Staples Center in a holiday matinee.

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Ben Bishop, making his second start since missing nine games due to injury, stopped 31 consecutive shots, 11 in the third period, to pick up the victory. Brian Boyle scored the winning goal in the final two minutes of the second period while Tyler Johnson picked up his 13th of the season in the first period as Tampa Bay won in Los Angeles for the first time since Jan. 12, 2009.

But this one was all about the team effort put forth up and down the lineup, particularly when it was learned minutes before the opening faceoff that defenseman Victor Hedman was too ill to play when he left the ice shortly in to warmups.

“Everybody gamed this one out,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “They played extremely hard against a big, strong, physical L.A. team and it was fun to watch.’’

So Tampa Bay put forth what has to be its grittiest effort of the season, finishing the game with 41 hits – the seventh most in a single regular season game in franchise history – while finishing with 20 blocked shots.

”The guys, since we had that four-game losing streak there, they’ve strung together nine straight (strong periods),’’ Cooper said. “The guys are battling hard, and it’s all about our net now. Again, you look, the power play didn’t happen to score tonight, but the penalty kill killed off all three of their power plays, and when you do that, you’re giving yourself a chance to win. That’s a part of playing defense, and they were committed to it.’’

The only puck that found its way past Bishop came in the opening minutes of the period after a strong start by Tampa Bay. As Bishop came around the back of the net to play the puck, he was surprised by Kyle Clifford, who took the puck and beat Bishop back around the front of the net for the wraparound at 8:33, the Kings’ first shot of the game.

But just like Thursday against Buffalo, when the Sabres scored on the first shot of the game, Tampa Bay found a way to answer. And the tying goal came courtesy of a dynamic play from Jonathan Drouin, who lost Tanner Pearson high in the zone with a “ankle breaking’’ cut back to create space at the right circle before splitting the seam across the ice to find Johnson for an open one-timer across the ice at 14:33.

”That’s what elite offensive-minded players can make, and Jo is elite in that regard,’’ Cooper said. “A lot of good things happen when he has the puck on his stick, and when you get yourself open, there’s a good chance he’s going to be able to find you. He did a great job protecting the puck. He beat his man, and now you give him a little bit of open space to make a play and Johnny opened up. The key was, it’s not so much he found Johnson, he put it right in Johnson’s wheelhouse. When you’re able to do that, give the guys a chance to score, and that’s what Jo did.’’

Drouin told NHL.com how he broke down the Kings’ defense on the play.

”They played man-to-man D, so if you beat one guy somebody’s going to get open or somebody’s going to try (to get open),” Drouin said. “If I beat one guy the other guy is going to come at me and something’s going to open, so [Kings forward Tanner] Pearson came and I spun off him and [Johnson] went backdoor, created a lane there and got a good shot off.’’

On the winning goal, some of that same determined effort was on display as Vladislav Namestnikov entered the offensive zone facing a 1-on-4 situation as the Lightning changed behind the play. Instead of dumping the puck in the zone, Namestnikov held the puck waiting for help to arrive, taking a hit down low to keep the puck in the zone. That led to sustained pressure and wore down the Kings.

Then as the puck finally left the Los Angeles zone, Anton Stralman sent the puck back up the ice quickly as the Kings were making changes. Valterri Filppula would make a quick cut back at the goal line that led to a scramble around the crease. Boyle would then find the loose puck and bank a shot off of Dustin Brown with 1:13 left in the second period.

From there it was all about protecting the led, clogging up the middle areas of the ice in the Lightning zone and not allowing the Kings much space to create chances. The best chance came from Marian Gaborik getting two quick chances in close, but Bishop was there, just as he’s been time and time again over the past few seasons.

”He was huge. He’s so good at playing the puck and so good making passes, stopping forechecks,’’ Boyle told NHL.com about Bishop. “I’m sure he didn’t see it going that way when they got their first goal, but there’s no panic. We know he’s going to continue to leave the net and make plays. He was big with some big, big saves point blank.’’

It was a feeling of déjà vu all over again.

Postgame notes: With Tampa Bay playing at Anaheim on Tuesday night, Cooper said after the game he wasn’t sure if Hedman would be able to play. “He wasn’t doing too well today. I wish we had a day in between, but I don’t know. He wasn’t feeling too well.’’ … RW Joel Vermin, who was called up earlier in the day, was a healthy scratch. … Drouin recorded his 50th career assist while extending his scoring streak to a career-best five consecutive games. … Tampa Bay improved to 2-16-3 on the season when scoring fewer than three goals. … Filppula has assists in four consecutive games. … The Lightning improved to 6-3 in the front half of back-to-back games, but as they head to Anaheim they are 1-4-3 in the second half of back-to-back games and winless in the past six (0-3-3). … C Brayden Point, who is out with a fractured hand suffered on Dec. 28 and expected to keep him out 4-6 weeks, is traveling with the team. … RW J.T. Brown missed his fourth consecutive game with an upper body injury and is not expected to be ready for Tuesday, although he practiced with the team on Monday while wearing a red no-contact jersey. … D Luke Witkowski picked up his second career assist on the opening goal.

My three stars:
1.Lightning G Ben Bishop – Stopped 31 shots, all consecutive including 11 in the third

2.Lightning LW Jonathan Drouin – Dominant with the puck at times, assist, 4 shots, 3 hits

3.Lightning LW Brian Boyle – Winning goal, four shots, five hits

Full game highlights via NHL.com

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