Last month, the Lightning used a six-day break in the schedule as a reset. They came out strongly in their first contest after that layoff, handing the Winnipeg Jets just their second loss of the season.
Earlier this week, the Lightning took advantage of another schedule break. They went four days without a game and again utilized that time to reset. Against San Jose, the Lightning broke things open early, scoring five first-period goals en route to a blowout victory.
Throughout the night, the Lightning got players and pucks to the front of the San Jose net. Six of their eight goals were scored by players positioned near the opposition cage. Cam Atkinson, Jake Guentzel, and Anthony Cirelli deflected pucks home. Brandon Hagel (twice) and Nick Paul finished shots from close range.
Then there were the other two goals. San Jose goalie MacKenzie Blackwood was heavily screened on Nick Perbix’s second-period tally. Conor Geekie used a San Jose defenseman as a screen and snapped a left-circle shot inside the far post.
So the Lightning went to the ‘dirty’ areas of the ice and got rewarded. Also, they looked fresh and hungry after the layoff. Having four days to reflect on Saturday’s home loss to Toronto may have fueled their attack too.
Depth scoring was another key to the offensive outburst. Three of the four lines contributed goals. Thirteen skaters posted at least one point. Seven had multiple-point outings. The Lightning put up those eight goals without two of their regulars in the lineup: leading scorer Nikita Kucherov and Mitchell Chaffee.
This was not a perfect defensive game, however, as players acknowledged afterward. The Lightning struggled with rush coverage, yielding several odd-man opportunities to the Sharks. But Andrei Vasilevskiy was sharp. He didn’t face a high volume of shots but contended with those isolated Grade-As. He finished with 20 saves on 21 shots.
Last week, the Lightning dropped three of four home games. So they were glad to wrap up this home-heavy segment on a good note before embarking on a four-game trip to Western Canada and Seattle this weekend.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Brayden Point — Lightning. Four assists. 600th NHL GP.
- Brandon Hagel — Lightning. Two goals.
- Conor Geekie — Lightning. Goal and assist.
