For the second game in a row, the Lightning combined strong team defense, excellent goaltending, and a balanced scoring attack to earn a victory.
On Monday, the Lightning shut out the Dallas Stars, 4-0. In this game, despite allowing one goal (which came in the final minute of regulation), the Lightning yielded even fewer scoring chances than they did versus the Stars. For much of the night, they kept the Penguins away from the most dangerous areas of the ice. They also limited the odd-man rush chances that hurt them so badly in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh. As they did against the Stars on Monday, the Lightning protected the front of their net well — they blocked 24 shots versus Dallas and blocked 28 more in this game against the Pens. Their penalty kill was outstanding – they erased four Pittsburgh power-play opportunities, including a 40-second five-on-three in the third period. The Pens managed to post just four shots on goal during their man-advantages.
Andrei Vasilevskiy didn’t have to stop many Grade-A scoring chances, but the Pens did manage to produce a few of them. His best of the night came during the aforementioned five-on-three — he made a stop on Evgeni Malkin following a cross-ice pass from Sidney Crosby.
The Lightning decisively won the special teams battle. Not only did they go 4-4 on the PK, they netted two power-play goals. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman collected points on both. During a first-period power play, Kucherov drew two Pittsburgh penalty killers towards him, then slipped a backhand pass to Hedman, who was open in the high slot. That forced Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust to leave his spot in the slot — he needed to challenge a Hedman shot or prevent a pass to Steven Stamkos at the left circle. But Rust left Anthony Cirelli unguarded in the slot, and Cirelli tipped in Hedman’s shot at 5:56.
While on the power play in the second period, the Lightning won an offensive-zone faceoff. Hedman hurried the puck from the left point to Kucherov at the right circle. Kucherov, who had cranked a shot off the crossbar moments earlier, one-timed a shot into the top of the net at 8:31.
The Lightning added to their lead at 17:04 of the second. Aggressive forechecking pressure from Tanner Jeannot forced a turnover in the Pittsburgh end. Mikey Eyssimont grabbed the puck at the left circle and fired a shot on net. Tristan Jarry made a glove save but couldn’t control the rebound. Jeannot backhanded the puck past Jarry.
The Pens applied heavy pressure early in the third, recording seven unanswered shots on goal to begin the frame. But the Lightning withstood that surge and held the Pens to just four shots the rest of the way.
The Lightning picked up two crucial home victories. Not only did they end their four-game losing skid, they banked four points before heading out on the five-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Nashville.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Nikita Kucherov — Lightning. PPG and assist. Set franchise record with 11-game assist streak.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy — Lightning. 24 saves.
- Anthony Cirelli — Lightning. PPG.
