The first home game back after a long trip can often be a difficult contest. That wasn’t the case for Tampa Bay in this matchup against Columbus, at least not for the first two periods. The Lightning were outstanding in the opening 40 minutes, building a 4-0 lead and holding Columbus to just 13 shots on goal. In the third, however, their play dipped. Columbus cut the deficit to one goal before the Lightning sealed the win with an empty netter.
During those first two periods, the Lightning defended the way they did during their successful four-game road trip. They owned a majority of possession. They limited turnovers. They didn’t allow rush chances. Thanks to the Lightning’s strong defensive play, the Blue Jackets didn’t generate many scoring opportunities in the first two periods.
At the other end of the ice, it was a different story. The Lightning created numerous scoring chances. Although Columbus netminder Jet Greaves denied many of those, the Lightning cashed in on four of them. Luke Glendening tipped in a Nick Perbix shot at 3:21 of the first. Nick Paul won a hard-fought puck battle at the Columbus blue line and whistled home a hard wrist shot from the high slot at 1:28 of the second. Over six minutes later, Paul set up Jake Guentzel for a shot at the right circle that Greaves stopped. But Guentzel followed his own shot and slammed in the rebound at 7:36. Mitchell Chaffee extended the lead when he converted on from the slot during the final minute of a five-minute major power play.
Through the first two periods, the Lightning’s only significant hiccup came during that five-minute major. For much of the first four minutes, they struggled to enter the offensive zone. But thanks to Chaffee’s goal, they converted before the man advantage ended. It turned out that the Chaffee tally would be a significant one.
With two early third-period power-play chances, Columbus began the frame owning plenty of puck possession. But they didn’t convert until the Lightning mismanaged the puck in the defensive zone, and Mikael Pyythia finished an in-alone chance at 7:23. On the next shift, the Lightning attempted a drop pass in the offensive zone that fueled a three-on-one rush for Columbus. Adam Fantilli scored from the slot at 8:05. Minutes later, another miscue on an offensive-zone drop pass allowed Columbus to counter and draw a penalty on Ryan McDonagh. The Jackets scored on the ensuing power play at 14:11.
But the Lightning would let Columbus get no closer. They managed the final minutes well. Brayden Point tallied an empty-netter with 2:09 left, and the Lightning secured two more points in the standings.
The Lightning’s play in the third period was subpar. But those segments have been the exception and not the rule during their current 5-1-0 run. It was their play in the first two periods has been the rule and not the exception.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Nick Paul — Lightning. Goal and two assists.
- Emil Lilleberg — Lightning. Assist.
- Luke Glendening — Lightning. Goal.
