Florida got here out flying proper after the opening draw with a powerful opening turnaround that noticed this occur Andrey Vasilevsky Stand upright within the crease and make 4 saves within the first 75 seconds of the sport to maintain the sport tied at zero. The Lightning constructed Vasilevskiy off to a stable begin and obtained an early steam when Eric Staal kicked a penalty into the offensive zone on the 2:33 mark. From there, the Bolts have been in a position to decide up some momentum and go off with a extremely sturdy first interval.
Whereas Tampa Bay didn’t rating on the facility play, the primary objective of the sport got here shortly after Pat Maron He scored his first objective of the season on the 8:40 mark of the interval. disc trip down, Anthony Cirelli He did an excellent job successful the puck battle towards Colin White within the nook earlier than sending an ideal go to Maroon within the slot. Utilizing a little bit of display from Aaron Ekblad up entrance, Maroon snipped his wrist straight into the highest left nook and seemed skyward into the rafters after deservedly scoring the long-awaited first objective of the 12 months.
“It is stunning,” stated Maron. “Clearly it is irritating to take 27 video games. You are simply attempting to work laborious and attempt to work by way of this droop.
“For me, it is clearly not in regards to the factors. It is about taking part in the appropriate means, taking part in laborious and taking part in heavy. Make some mess, create a while within the O, construct on the D and arrange the subsequent line-up.
“However it’s good to have the payoff tonight. I hope the gates open and I get a pair extra in right here, but it surely’s nice. I really feel like I have been tying a number of video games collectively and taking part in some good hockey right here, so it is good to get this recreation out of the way in which.”
Video: TBL vs. FLA | Maroon puts the screws in front
With Maroun’s good efficiency over the previous a number of matches, it was clear that the primary objective would come quickly.
Going into Saturday’s recreation, Maroon’s anticipated objectives proportion is 5-on-5 over his final 5 contests at 73.39%, 85.94%, 65.23%, 85.65%, and 55.45%. Translation – When Marron was on the ice at 5’5, good issues occurred for Tampa Bay.
“He is taking part in effectively,” stated Lightning coach John Cooper. “He is working a bit of bit up there with Tony and Colton. Plenty of time within the space. Nice play by Tony down there to slip in.”
“It was coming for him. It was simply going to occur. He obtained so many probabilities.”
Going into the second half with a 1-0 lead, the Bolts needed to kill 4 separate penalties they usually could not generate a lot movement in any respect in a 5-on-5, just because there wasn’t a lot of a draw. Energy hockey is performed.
Florida obtained a fortunate leap when Zach Dalby threw a ball into the online that hit a defender and previous Vasilevskiy, however Tampa Bay did effectively to kill all 4 penalties and are available into the second break and tie the sport at one.
The goalkeeper seemed stable with some aggressive chasing and Vasilevsky made some actually huge saves alongside the way in which as effectively, together with considered one of his greatest stops of the 12 months with an unimaginable save by Sam Reinhart.
“I believe the vital factor for us is saving Vasey over Reinhart,” Cooper stated. “This can be a big time saver.
“We discuss it on a regular basis. You are speculated to make the issues that you simply’re speculated to do, however there are some which are very saved and simply in time and Vas has performed that. We sort of took it residence from there.”
Video: John Cooper | Post-match 12.10.22
Lightning followers are fortunate to have the ability to watch a goalkeeper like Vasilevskiy between the tubes each evening. Big saves just like the one on Reinhart appear to occur in virtually each recreation. When Tampa Bay wants a serious bailout, Vasilevskiy does it.
“Fasi is nice,” stated Maroun. “I do not wish to take a look at his numbers as a result of he is been a hell of a goalkeeper for thus a few years. He is been carrying this workforce. He is making huge time saves once we want them.
“He is been actually good all 12 months. He is been making some key saves all 12 months. At first, I am certain he was a bit of pissed off, however he is stored calm. He sticks with it. He works simply as laborious, and will get rewarded for it.”
“He is been taking part in some actually good hockey over the lengthy haul, although he is been good to us all 12 months.”
From there, Lightning took management. simply over three minutes into the third interval, Nikita Kucherov And the Brayden Level He confirmed that chemistry that was so spectacular your complete season when Kucherov discovered a degree within the gap earlier than firing a wrist shot proper beneath Bobrovsky’s glove to place the screws again in.
Level has now scored in six straight video games towards the Panthers and has scored eight objectives in his final eight video games of the season.
“I am getting attractiveness,” Level stated of his success towards the Panthers. “Clearly he is a goalkeeper, however even tonight, Coach made an excellent go, virtually obtained there. I do not know. It has been going effectively these days towards Florida.”
After the goal of the purpose, Mikhail Sergachev He obtained his fifth objective of the season on the 7:22 mark when he collected the puck on the boards within the assault zone and threw it into the online, as Bobrovsky was scrambling to get to his ft and slide to the put up.
The Panthers challenged the goaltender’s sort out on the play but it surely was unsuccessful and gave Tampa Bay an additional energy on the helm to take a 3-1 lead.
The Lightning did what we have seen them do ceaselessly over the previous a number of years and shut issues down defensively, making it actually tough for Florida to create any sort of ongoing offense in hopes of coming again.
With 3:15 seconds left, Stamkos put the icing on the cake with objective #496, a slick forehand transfer on a breakaway that beat Bobrovsky cleanly on the proper put up. He scored objectives in 4 consecutive matches towards the Panthers.
video: Stephen Stamkos | Post-match 12.10.22
Stamkos pushed his rating streak to 13 video games with the objective, the longest amongst Lightning skaters this season and fourth longest by skaters within the NHL.
The 13-game level streak was tied for the second time in Tampa Bay franchise historical past, trailing solely the 18-point streak Stamkos scored through the 2009-10 season.
“I simply fly beneath the radar,” stated Stamkos. “It is enjoyable. If you’re in a streak like this, you appear to seek out methods.
“Whether or not you play recreation or not, generally there’s a bit of bounce right here or there for those who keep it up. I believe that is the case with a few of them, however you undoubtedly really feel good with the puck and it is good to do this on some wins right here.”
Alex Killorn He was the principle help on objective, scoring a lot of Stamkos’ objectives through the years, and now has the seventh-most level possession and eighth-most assists in Lightning Sequence historical past. In the meantime, Nick Paul had the secondary help for the one centesimal level of his NHL profession.
It felt like a classic Bolts efficiency on a Saturday. The Lightning went to 3rd within the tie recreation, held on to the method, obtained the lead, and closed issues down defensively with some glorious objectives alongside the way in which.
“That is the Tampa Bay Lightning the final three years that you simply guys have watched — 2-1 recreation, 2-2,” stated Maron. “We end the video games the appropriate means. We play the appropriate means. We keep on with the construction. We do not attempt to chase the sport.
“We keep it up and play the complete 60 video games. That is our recreation. That is our hockey. We have an excellent hockey workforce right here and I believe if we keep on with the sport plan, every thing shall be high quality.”
#Backcheck #sturdy #interval #drives #screws #Cats