This was a tale of two games. The Rangers decisively dictated play for the first 30 minutes, building a 2-0 lead in the process. But the Lightning pushed back in the final 30 minutes. They shifted momentum, outscored the Rangers, 6-1, and put two crucial points in the bank.
For the first half of the game, the Rangers were playing at a faster pace than the Lightning. They were quicker to pucks and quicker with their decision-making. They tallied first-period goals on a well-executed two-on-one rush and a nice passing play in the offensive zone that led to a Grade-A chance from the slot.
At the other end of the ice, the Lightning struggled to generate scoring chances during those opening 20 minutes. The Rangers are one of the league’s top defensive teams for a reason: they protect the front of their net well and make it difficult for the opposition to get to dangerous areas of the ice.
That trend continued into the start of the second period. Through the first nine and a half minutes of the period, the Lightning managed to produce just three shots on net (and had only eight SOG for the game). The Rangers received a power play at 9:30 with an opportunity to extend their lead. Instead, the Lightning delivered a solid penalty kill and kept the deficit at two. Just over a minute after the penalty ended, the Lightning got on the board. Jon Cooper put Anthony Duclair onto a line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, and the move paid immediate dividends. Point intercepted a pass in the neutral zone (just outside the New York blue line) and countered on a rush with Kucherov. Kucherov fed Point on an in-alone chance, and Point roofed a wrist shot into the top of the net at 12:41.
The goal swung the game’s momentum. The Lightning picked up their pace of play and forced the Rangers to spend more time defending. Beginning with the Point goal, the Lightning outshot the Rangers, 6-0, for the rest of the period. Tampa Bay tied the game with just over a minute left in the second. Duclair set up Point in the low slot. Igor Shesterkin stopped Point but couldn’t control the rebound. It bounced to Duclair at the side of the net, and he fired a shot into the open cage.
The Rangers retook the lead on their first shot of the third period. Adam Fox wired a perfect cross-ice pass to Jack Roslovic at the left circle. Roslovic one-timed the puck into the top of the net at 1:48. But less than two minutes later, the Lightning evened the score. With the teams skating four-on-four, Point stickhandled around Erik Gustafsson and chipped a shot past Shesterkin at 3:41. When Will Cuylle was whistled for a slashing minor at 12:08, the Lightning cashed in on their ensuing power play. Quick puck movement yielded a chance and a goal for Steven Stamkos at 12:45. Point made it 5-3 when he redirected a Kucherov centering feed into the net at 14:48. The goal completed Point’s fourth career hat trick and gave him five points on the night. That total would increase to six points when he set up Kucherov’s empty-netter at 16:22. The six points matched a franchise record, originally set by Doug Crossman in the Lightning’s first season and equaled by Kucherov earlier this season.
How did the Lightning manage to rally on one of the top defensive teams in the league? Their quickened pace of play yielded more possession time. And their high-skill players made quick plays that yielded Grade-A scoring chances. The Lightning netted their five goals on Shesterkin from prime scoring areas, close to the net.
It was a stirring comeback win, one that helped the Lightning wrap up the homestand on a high note. They begin their five-game road trip on Saturday in Sunrise against the league-leading Panthers.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Brayden Point — Lightning. Hat trick. Tied franchise record with six points.
- Nikita Kucherov — Lightning. Five points.
- Anthony Duclair — Lightning. Goal.
