Tampa Bay Lightning may have been robbed, but who really committed larceny in overtime loss

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
November 2, 2017

TAMPA – One might suggest the Lightning were robbed during Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Rangers.

You wouldn’t be wrong.

But I might suggest that it was actually Tampa Bay, and specifically, the Lightning goaltender, who did the thieving on Thursday.

Let’s examine the evidence.

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Let’s start with where Tampa Bay was robbed of the two points in regulation time.

In the third period and the game tied 1-1, the Lightning won a faceoff clean in the offensive zone as J.T. Brown pulled the puck back from the right circle to Jake Dotchin. As Dotchin came down from the point to retrieve the puck, he sent it back to Alex Killorn covering back at the right point. Killorn slithered his way to the center point and fired a long-range wrist shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist to the glove side at the 3:01 mark of the third period.

But referee tom Chmielewski, off to Lundqvist’s right, immediately was waving his arms to wipe out the goal, citing goaltender interference on Gabriel Dumont on the play. Dumont had established position at the top of the crease and in to the blue paint area. Right before Killorn fired the shot, Dumont was pushed slightly back by Steven Kampfer and a trace of contact with Lundqvist took place.

The Lightning didn’t like the call and issued a coach’s challenge. After a short review, the call was upheld and the goal was waived off. The video of the play is below.

Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper was displeased with the decision.

”That was a bad call,’’ Cooper said. “I think the only person in the building who thought that wasn’t a goal was (Chmieleseki). (Lundqvist) missed it. He didn’t make the save. You can tell by the goalie’s reaction if he thinks its goaltender interference. He didn’t even react one ounce. (Dumont) didn’t impede him to make the save. You are allowed to be in the blue paint, forwards are allowed to be in there and he didn’t impede his ability to make the save. The shot beat him. That’s it, but everybody makes mistakes.”

Follow up question I asked Cooper, isn’t video review supposed to correct those type of mistakes?

”I guess it’s his opinion and he gets to make the final call,’’ Cooper said. “You have to accept it. That’s it. He called no goal, it’s no goal. I disagree, but it’s no goal, so whatever, it happens.’’

Not surprisingly, the Rangers view of the play was like the official saw it.

”I want to come out. I can’t come out,’’ Lundqvist said. “I can’t play the position, so I think it was absolutely the right call. Sometimes, I think players think that they have to bump the goalie but he comes in there and I can’t come out, so I think it’s the right call for sure.”

But here’s a thought on that play, if the play is called a goal on the ice, do the Rangers initiate a coach’s challenge in the hopes of it being overturned?

Here's a thought on goalie interference call on Dumont that erased go-ahead goal, if it's called a goal on the ice do the Rangers challenge?

— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) November 3, 2017

Now, on to the play of Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who might have been the only player on the ice who actually committed an act of larceny in the game.

If not for their goaltender, the Lightning almost certainly would not have even had a chance to win the game and the controversial interference call would not have been much of a factor. That’s because Tampa Bay had a very uncharacteristic game with their puck management, turning the puck over in all three zones at some alarming rates.

It resulted in more odd-man rushes in one game than Tampa Bay has probably allowed all season. But Vasilevskiy stood strong, stopping J.T. Miller on a breakaway, stopping Kevin Shattenkirk on a breakaway after he came out of the penalty box. Vasilevskiy turned aside more than one two-on-one chances as the Rangers kept coming at Tampa Bay, fed by turnovers.

Time and time again, Vasilevskiy kept the game from getting out of hand, finishing with 33 saves in a game that easily could have got out of hand quickly if the Tampa bay goaltender did not come up with save after save as the team relied on their goaltender more than they would like.

”He clearly got us the point tonight, there is no question about that,’’ Cooper said. “He’s been doing that all year for us, that’s why he’s been our MVP.’’

There was a third-period stop on Michael Grabner after Mikhail Sergachev tried a long cross-ice pass up the middle of the ice. There was the stop Vasilevskiy made on Ryan McDonagh with 6:38 left when Dotchin lazily sent a backhand pass – coincidentally from the same spot of the ice as Sergachev – up the middle of the ice that was picked off by McDonagh, who waltzed down the left circle for a wide open look that Vasilevskiy stared down and turned aside.

”He was amazing,’’ said Lighting forward Yanni Gourde, who had the only Tampa Bay, of Vasilevskiy. “He’s probably been our best player since the beginning of the year and he keeps us in every night. He’s doing an amazing job and again tonight he was great.’’

So, were the Lightning robbed of a potential go-ahead goal early in the third on a questionable call by the officiating? Yeah, probably.

But justice was doled out properly and the Lightning were fortunate to steal a point from the game.

Postgame notes:. Yanni Gourde registered his second career shorthanded goal and Tampa Bay’s second shorthanded goal of the season. … Tampa Bay went 0-for-2 on the power play, just the third time this year the Lightning have been held without a power play goal. … Captain Steven Stamkos appeared in his 600th career game, all with Tampa Bay. … Vasilevskiy saw his franchise record nine-game winning streak come to an end, but has earned the Lightning a point in 10 consecutive starts. … D Victor Hedman recorded his ninth career shorthanded assist, his first since the 2015-16 season.

My three stars:
1.Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Was stellar in stopping 33 saves

2.Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist – Stopped 27 shots for the victory

3.Lightning D Victor Hedman – Shorthanded assist, 5 shot attempts, plus-1, 2 blocked shots, 26:38 of ice time

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