Playing the second half of a back-to-back against a rested opponent, the Lightning delivered a solid defensive performance—and received a big contribution from a line of Jake Guentzel (playing center), Brandon Hagel, and Nikita Kucherov—to complete the two-game sweep.
The Lightning netted an early goal off the rush. Kucherov dropped a pass to Charle-Edouard D’Astous in the slot, and D’Astous fired a hard shot on goal. Jet Greaves made the save, but Hagel tucked the rebound into an open side of the net.
Overall, however, the first half of the opening period was a struggle for Tampa Bay. The Lightning had trouble executing clears out of the defensive zone, which fed the Columbus attack. One such failed clear led to a high-sticking penalty on Ilya Mikheyev, and the Blue Jackets scored on the ensuing power play. Matthew Knies directed a puck over Dennis Hildeby at 12:20.
Then came two center-ice fights on consecutive faceoffs. Scott Sabourin and Mathieu Olivier, followed by Jeff Viel and Ryan Lomberg. The fights had a positive effect on the Lightning—they played a much cleaner game from that point onward.
The score remained tied at one through two periods. The Lightning came out of the gates well to start the third. After a strong shift from the Zemgus Girgensons line, the Guentzel unit came on the ice. Hagel set up Guentzel at the left circle for a shot that slipped past Greaves and rolled across the goal line at 1:06.
The Blue Jackets had an extended shift in the offensive zone several minutes later but couldn’t tie the game. The Lightning countered, and Hagel scored from the bottom of the right circle at 7:41, extending the lead.
The Lightning protected the two-goal lead. They avoided additional long d-zone shifts and protected the front of the net. They navigated through a successful penalty kill just past the halfway point of the frame, as well as the six-on-five sequence for Columbus in the closing minutes.
The Lightning played this game without the injured Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak. Also, Yanni Gourde was given a scheduled day off (due to the back-to-back). But the Lightning still managed to add two more points to their standings total.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
- Brandon Hagel — Lightning. Two goals and assist.
- Jake Guentzel — Lightning. GWG and assist in 700th game.
- Dennis Hildeby — Lightning. 28 saves.
