GAME 4 FINAL: Lightning 2, Blue Jackets 1

The Blue Jackets dropped Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs series against Tampa Bay by a 2-1 score on Monday afternoon in Toronto. The result gives the Lightning a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game in a Paragraph

The Blue Jackets played one of their better games of the postseason but couldn't find the goals they needed. After a strong first period, the game changed as Columbus gave up a pair of goals in the opening minutes of the second, and the Blue Jackets couldn't quite catch up. Cam Atkinson got one back for the Blue Jackets but Tampa Bay was able to ride out the final 35 minutes to increase its series lead.

CBJ Standouts

Quote of the Game

Korpisalo: "Throughout the 60 minutes, that was our most complete game thus far in the series. We didn't give them too much. One-goal game. It is what it is."

Quick Recap

Columbus thought it had the start it was looking for when a 40-second shift in the offensive zone by the team's top line ended in a goal at 1:52 off the stick of Oliver Bjorkstrand, but Tampa Bay challenged for offside, a decision that was upheld to strike the goal from the board.

From there, the Blue Jackets controlled much of the period -- they had a 11-7 edge in shots on goal in the frame and didn't allow Tampa Bay a shot on goal for a span of 10:51 -- but it was a scoreless game after one.

That good work for the Blue Jackets in the opening 20 minutes went for naught when Lightning then got a pair of goals from its third line to take a 2-0 lead in the opening minutes of the second period. Just 14 seconds into the period, Barclay Goodrow got on the board, as the Bolts dumped the puck into the zone and Blake Coleman chopped it out front where Goodrow skated onto the puck and let go a quick shot that got by Korpisalo.

Then it was a 2-0 game at 4:09 as that line got on the board again. Goodrow dropped a puck to the onrushing Kevin Shattenkirk to fire from the top of the right circle, and Yanni Gourde was alone in front to tip it past Korpisalo.

Columbus didn't need too long to answer, though, as Atkinson got on the board at 5:48 to make it a 2-1 game. With the teams skating 4-on-4, Zach Werenski skated the puck into the zone and left it for Dubois, whose shot on net was stopped by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, but the rebound bounced into Atkinson as he skated across the crease and ended up in the net.

The Lightning nearly made it a 3-1 game late in the second period on the power play, but a strong of fantastic saves by Korpisalo kept it a one-goal contest. Korpisalo stretched out his right pad to turn aside a rebound shot by Patrick Maroon, and Tyler Johnson looked like he'd have a chance to bury the puck before the CBJ goalie got back into position, but Korpisalo lifted that same pad to kick away Johnson's try.

Columbus had a chance to tie the score eight minutes into the period as Gus Nyquist fed Dubois in behind the defense, but his shot got past Vasilevskiy only to harmlessly hit the outside of the post and deflect away, leaving Dubois skating up the ice with his head in his hands.

The Lightning continued to play solid defense down the stretch and was able to close out the game from there, aided by the Blue Jackets taking a too many men on the ice penalty with the goalie pulled and 1:07 left on the clock.

Notable

The Blue Jackets outshot the Lightning for the first time in this series, 29-22. … Columbus won all 11 faceoffs in the opening period. … Atkinson's 24 playoff points are a CBJ franchise record as well. … Tampa Bay's power play remained scoreless in the series after going 0-3. ... The Blue Jackets led the NHL with 20 one-goal wins this season but are 0-3 in the series in one-goal games. ... The Blue Jackets fell to 3-1 after a loss this postseason.

Roster Report

Columbus made two changes to the forward lineup, with Atkinson returning while Kevin Stenlund made his playoff debut. They went into the lineup in place of Emil Bemstrom and Devin Shore. Other scratches were forwards Josh Anderson (unfit to play), Nathan Gerbe (unfit to play) and Stefan Matteau as well as defensemen Gabriel Carlsson, Adam Clendening, Scott Harrington, Markus Nutivaara and Andrew Peeke. In addition, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was unfit to play and Veini Vehvilainen was scratched.

Up Next

The Blue Jackets and Lightning meet in Game 5 on Wednesday afternoon at 12 p.m.