Tampa Bay Lightning comeback victory felt like a step in the right direction

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
October 9, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. – Three games in to the season seems a little soon to call any victory a character win.

So we’ll just have to view the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 overtime, come-from-behind victory against Washington a character building win. Because after how the first two games of the season transpired, the Lightning needed something to build from.

Monday’s game in which Tampa Bay twice fell behind by two goals before Brayden Point capped off the comeback with an overtime power play winner, looked like the first brick to help build the foundation for the season.

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Tampa Bay spilt a pair of games over the weekend against the Florida Panthers, but didn’t look very good while doing it. The most recent game on Saturday was of particular concern, allowing 48 shots on goal – 40 of them in the first two periods – and failed to hold on to a third period lead.

There was not a good feeling coming out of that game, which left the Lightning with more questions than answers.

”We’ll give credit to the Florida Panthers, they played great against us but it really was a reality check for us,’’ left wing Alex Killorn said. “We had a meeting about it and there were a lot of things we needed to do better, especially against the Washington Capitals. A lot of us were just passengers in those first two games.’’

By the time the final horn went off on Monday, it’s fair to say there were a lot of players putting in the right kind of drive on the ice.

After generating 20-or-fewer shots on goal at even strength in each of the first two games, the Lightning finished with 27 shots during five-on-five play against the Capitals. After allowing 36 shots at even strength on Saturday and 30 in the season-opener, Tampa Bay limited Washington to 16 shots at 5-on-5 play on Monday.

Puck possession was paramount and the Lightning looked a lot more like the team we expected to see, like a team expected to be a contender.

”It’s easy for me to say this now because we got two points out of this game, but the way this game was going, I liked the way we were playing and I liked the way we were attacking the game,’’ Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “The boys needed to get points out of this game and it was great that we got two. I really liked our effort, our drive and everything that came with it. I really believe we were taken aback by the way we played the other night in Florida.’’

That loss got the team’s attention, and not just because it was a loss, but rather the manner in which they lost. The Panthers were quicker to pucks, hungrier to win battles and more determined to create chances.

On Monday, the Lightning looked like the hungry team they said they were entering the season, chasing down pucks, engaged in puck battles owning the puck possession aspect, getting off 83 shot attempts while allowing 48.

”That’s by far the best game we’ve played, if you take the seven preseason games and the two (regular season), so it took us ten games to find ourselves,’’ Cooper said. “Not, let’s not hang our hat on that and say it’s okay. We have a long way to go with this team and there were so many good things that happened tonight. But when we wake up (Tuesday), it’s Pittsburgh and how are we going to be Pittsburgh (on Thursday). There were a lot of positives to take out of this game, but it’s game three. Now you have to do that every single night. And even when you play like that, it’s not going to guarantee you win games, but it’s getting that consistency every single night. And hopefully this was the start.’’

The Lightning fell behind 2-0 in the opening period on goals by Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Killorn cut the deficit in half with his first of the season at 5:28 of the second as the Lightning started to build some momentum. But that was all sucked away when Yanni Gourde was called for a faceoff violation as part of a new standard the league has put in place this season as Oshie regained the two-goal lead with his second power play goal of the night.

But Chris Kunitz scored his first in a Lightning uniform with a backhand deflection of an Anton Stralman shot late in the second. Then Tampa Bay started to turn up the heat on the Capitals, pushing Washington back on its heels, fueled by an early power play chance where Tampa Bay had the puck in the zone for more than two consecutive minutes that built up some momentum. Then Nikita Kucherov brought the crowd to their feet with a spectacular rush up the ice after taking a Killorn pass, put a quick crossover move on Taylor Chorney and roofed a backhand shot over Philipp Grubauer to tie the game.

”The guys made a good play to set me up there. I just took it wide,’’ Kucherov said. “Last game I passed it out to Stammer when I should have shot it but this time there was no one behind me so I decided to shoot.’’

That set up the chance to win the game in overtime when Washington was called for too many men on the ice in overtime, leading to Steven Stamkos setting up Kucherov for a one-timer that bounced in off the knee of Point for the winner.

It may only be game three, but it felt like an important game for Tampa Bay to establish what kind of team they want to be.

”It’s a good building block for the team to learn the structure and play the right way,’’ Kunitz said.

Postgame notes:. Kucherov (111 career goals) moved into a tie with Brian Bradley for seventh place all the franchise all-time goal scoring list. … D Victor Hedman appeared in his 552nd career game, tying Brad Richards for fifth most in franchise history. … LW Michael Bournival cleared waivers and was assigned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League. … Tampa Bay scratched RW J.T. Brown, LW Gabriel Dumont and D Andrej Sustr. … D Slater Koekkoek made his season debut, taking just six shifts and playing 3:09 of ice time. … C Brayden Point has three consecutive multi-point games to start the season. …

My three stars:
1.Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov – Tying goal, assisted on winner, 12 shot attempts

2.Capitals RW T.J. Oshie – Two goals, assist, four shots on goal

3.Lightning C Brayden Point – Winning goal, assist, 3 blocked shots, 56 percent on faceoffs

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