Mishkin's Extra Shift: Lightning 3, Blue Jackets 2

Following Tuesday's game versus the Blue Jackets, the Lightning stressed the importance of creating more traffic in front of Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins in the offensive zone and getting "inside" on the Blue Jackets defenders. Looking back at the Tuesday contest, the Lightning felt that they had left some plays on the table, so to speak.

In that regard, the Lightning sharpened things on Thursday. When they had the puck in the offensive zone, they generated plenty of scoring chances. They were dangerous off the rush, too. Their two crucial third period goals both came on rush opportunities. In all, they posted 34 shots on net - and while that number was four fewer than their total on Tuesday, more of their shots on Thursday were high-quality. They also hit three posts along the way.
So the Lightning improved their offensive zone play. Their problem was that, compared to Tuesday, they were much looser defensively. The Blue Jackets managed to register just 21 shots on goal in the earlier game this week. By the end of the second period on Thursday, they had already eclipsed that total. It's true that the Blue Jackets did more to apply pressure in the offensive zone. But the Lightning also struggled with turnovers and spotty coverage. Fortunately for the Lightning, Andrei Vasilevskiy delivered a brilliant performance. He made 36 saves and turned aside a multitude of Grade-A scoring chances.
With both teams doing good work in the offensive zone, the game had an ebb and flow to it. Columbus came out of the gates quickly, posted six of the contest's first seven shots. During those early minutes, the Lightning had trouble executing plays out of their own end and committed several turnovers just inside their own blue line.
But after that early Columbus surge, the Lightning enjoyed a dominant stretch for much of the rest of the first period. They posted 14 of the game's next 16 shots. Those two Columbus shots during that segment were scoring chances, however. With the Lightning on a power play, Vasilevskiy made back-to-back saves on Boone Jenner and Nick Foligno as the Jackets almost scored on a two-on-zero shorthanded rush. Video review confirmed that Vasilevskiy pushed the Foligno rebound shot off the goal line. That was a big play - and not just because the save prevented a goal. As the action moved back towards the Columbus end, the Blue Jackets were whistled for too many men on the ice. Had the puck crossed the line moments earlier, Columbus wouldn't have been issued the second penalty. Instead, the Lightning went on a five-on-three for just over a minute. Brayden Point scored on the two-man advantage, completing a give-and-go passing sequence with Steven Stamkos and banking in a one-timer off Merzlikins from the side of the net.
After getting through the second penalty kill successfully, the Blue Jackets posted the final four shots of the period, a precursor of what was to come in the second.
The middle stanza was the Lightning's roughest in the game, but they actually started off well. In the opening few minutes, they owned most of the possession time and recorded the first four shots of the frame. But soon after, the Jackets took over. Not only did the Blue Jackets spend most of the rest of the period in the offensive zone, they produced numerous scoring chances. Zach Werenski tied the game at 9:04, finishing a sequence after Vasilevskiy had made consecutive saves on Max Domi and Eric Robinson. But thanks to Vasilevskiy, the Blue Jackets didn't score another in the period. Vasilevskiy made 14 saves in the frame, many of which were high-quality. Victor Hedman also provided a critical defensive play when, during a Columbus power play, he swept Jenner's rebound chance off the goal line.
The Lightning didn't have much going until the final 90 seconds, when they received their third power play opportunity. Stamkos hit the crossbar and moments later, Point rang a shot off the post.
Even though they allowed a goal to Robinson and yielded 12 more shots, the Lightning defended much better in the third. They cut down on turnovers, which allowed them to exit their own end cleanly and string together several long, offensive zone shifts. The Columbus shots were scattered throughout the period, as the Blue Jackets weren't able to sustain their second period dominance.
Still, after Robinson's tally, a play in which he used his speed to get behind the Lightning defense and finish an in-alone chance at 10:54, the Lightning were down by a goal. Unlike on Tuesday, when the Blue Jackets clamped things down effectively during the final 10 minutes, the Lightning created looks down the stretch. On the shift after Robinson's goal, the Lightning capitalized on a Columbus turnover and almost scored on the ensuing odd-man rush. A couple of minutes later, though, another rush chance did yield the tying goal. Pat Maroon carried the puck down the left wing and entered the offensive zone. As Seth Jones stepped up to check him, Maroon dropped a pass to Ross Colton. With Maroon having taken Jones out of the play, Colton had room to skate to the left circle. Afterwards, Colton stated that he had passed up an opportunity to shoot from a similar spot earlier in the game. This time, he wired a laser under the glove of Merzlikis and inside the far post.
Just over a minute later, the Lightning grabbed the lead. Point and Tyler Johnson entered the offensive zone on a two-on-one rush. From the bottom of the left circle, Point attempted to pass the puck to Johnson, who was at the front of the net. It never reached Johnson - David Savard reached back with his stick to knock the puck away. Instead, Savard swatted it into his own net at 15:54.
The Jackets made one final push. Foligno and Mikko Lehtonen had back-to-back shots that Vasilevskiy stopped. Then, after the Blue Jackets pulled the goalie, Patrik Laine attempted four shots. Vasilevskiy fought off the first one - and Cam Atkinson narrowly missed putting in the rebound. The Lightning blocked the final three Laine attempts, however, and Columbus didn't post another shot on net.
It was an exciting game filled with lots of big plays. Because of their two late goals, the Lightning rallied to snap their season-long three-game losing streak. But as they get ready to face Detroit over the weekend, they'll look to lean less on their goaltender than they had to on Thursday.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1. Brayden Point - Lightning. Two goals.
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning. 36 saves.
3. Zach Werenksi - Blue Jackets. Goal.