There wasn't much happening for either team during the majority of the first period, although the Flames owned more of the possession. Then in the final five minutes of the period, the Lightning took four separate minor penalties. The second of those yielded a power play goal for Nazim Kadri, who tipped in a Tyler Toffoli shot. Soon after, the Flames received a full two-minute five-on-three. But they didn't add to their lead. Andrei Vasilevskiy made four saves during the two-man disadvantage, while Erik Cernak and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare each recorded a key shot block.
In the second period, the Lightning did a better job of stringing together lengthy offensive zone shifts. One of those led to a Calgary turnover and a Steven Stamkos goal. Stamkos jumped on a loose puck at the right circle and roofed a shot into the top of the net, tying the game at 10:20. Less than a minute later, the Lightning grabbed the lead. Nick Paul brought the puck deep into the offensive zone and, against three Calgary defenders, maintained possession of the puck. He curled back to the right circle and centered the puck to Vlad Namestnikov. Vladar poke-checked the puck away, but it hit off Namestnikov's skate and caromed into the net.
The Flames would tie the game 70 seconds later. But before they did, Namestnikov had another Grade-A chance. It could have been 3-1 Lightning, but Vladar made a key save, keeping his team's deficit at one.
On each of Calgary's two second-period goals, the shift began with the Lightning having the puck in the offensive zone. On Toffoli's tying tally, a turnover allowed the Flames to counter. A shot from Dillon Dube reached Vasilevskiy and led to a goalmouth scramble. With Vasilevskiy down on the ice at one post, Toffoli took the puck behind the net and tried a backhand wraparound on the other side. He couldn't maneuver the puck around the post (a tricky play on the backhand), but it hit Victor Hedman and slid into the net.
Then, with less than three minutes left in frame, the Lightning lost the puck in the o-zone and surrendered a three-on-one rush. Vasilevskiy made two saves on Andrew Mangiapane and one on Blake Coleman before the Lightning had an opportunity to clear. But the Flames intercepted it again and Rasmus Andersson's point shot deflected off Hedman and in.
The Flames effectively locked things down in the third, limiting Lightning scoring chances. They scored what turned out to be an important insurance goal when Dube converted off the rush at 7:40. Calgary also killed three penalties in the frame, including a four-minute Lightning power play. They held the Lightning to just one shot during the double-minor.
A sixth-attacker goal from Anthony Cirelli came directly off an offensive zone face-off win, a Hedman shot that ended up in the crease, and a Cirelli stuff-in. But the Lightning would get no closer. They allowed two empty-netters, setting the final at 6-3.
The Lightning wanted to come home with more points than games played and they accomplished that goal (six points over five games). But it was a tough trip. They didn't seem to have the same amount of jump or crispness in this fifth and final contest as they had in many of the earlier ones.
Now they'll head home and look to regroup. They have three games left - all at Amalie Arena and all against tough competition (Minnesota, Boston, and Los Angeles) - before their bye week and the All-Star Break.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
1. Rasmus Andersson - Flames. Goal and two assists.
2. Noah Hanafin - Flames. Three assists.
3. Dillon Dube - Flames. Goal and assist.
