This was the Lightning’s best outing of the season so far. Not coincidentally, it was also their best defensive performance.
Whenever a team records a shutout, the goaltender deserves plenty of credit. Jonas Johansson was sharp and steady in turning aside 32 Carolina shots. As Jon Cooper said afterwards, however, this was a team shutout.
The Lightning wanted to reduce the number of turnovers committed — and ensure that a turnover didn’t lead to a Grade-A opposition scoring opportunity. They checked both of those boxes in this contest. Additionally, they played a hard, committed game without the puck. They protected the middle of the ice, blocked 19 shots, and boxed out well in front of Johansson. On that last point, there were several instances in which Johansson made an initial save and a Carolina player was unable to get to the rebound. Instead, the Lightning defenseman swept the puck away from the front of the net.
Carolina is a team that likes to press the attack, dominate possession, and direct lots of pucks to the opposition net. In the first period, however, the ice was level, and the Lightning registered the more dangerous scoring chances. Pyotr Kochetkov made early point-blank saves on Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel, keeping the game scoreless. But when the Lightning received a power play late in the frame, they grabbed the lead. Following a 50-50 faceoff win, one which allowed them to keep the puck in the offensive zone, the Lightning moved the puck quickly. From the corner, Nick Paul fed Nikita Kucherov at the right circle. Kucherov bumped the puck to Victor Herman in the high slot. Hedman one-timed a shot towards the net, and Point tipped it over Kochetkov’s glove at 19:06.
Over the final 40 minutes, the Hurricanes owned a majority of the possession time. They outshot the Lightning, 24-11. Attempts were 43-20. But the Lightning maintained their tight structure and limited second-chance opportunities. They added to their lead at 17:51 of the second, when Alex Barre-Boulet tipped in a shot-pass from Darren Raddysh. Paul finished off the scoring with a goal from the left circle, a wrist shot that beat Kochetkov inside the far post.
But the story of this game was not about the Lightning’s offense — it was how well they defended.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Jonas Johansson — Lightning. Shutout win. 32 saves.
- Nick Paul — Lightning. Goal.
- Darren Raddysh — Lightning. Assist.
