When the Hurricanes are on their game, they dominate puck possession with their aggressive forecheck and limit the amount of time the opposition can go on the attack. That's what happened for much of the second and third periods. The Hurricanes netted three second period goals: one came off a well-executed rush sequence, another on a terrific tip from Jordan Staal, and the third on a forced turnover and open look for Steven Lorentz.
The first period unfolded differently than the second and third, however. The Hurricanes did not dominate possession - in fact, the Lightning owned a 23-17 shot attempt advantage. The Lightning had several dangerous-looking rushes, but weren't able to cash in. They passed their way out of some potential chances. The Hurricanes hustled back defensively to disrupt plays. Carolina, which struggled defensively on Monday, did a good job of blocking shots, especially in that opening frame. But one first period rush chance did yield a great look for the Lightning. Alex Nedeljkovic made a terrific point blank save on Ryan McDonagh to keep the game scoreless.
The narrative changed once the second period began. The Hurricanes grabbed momentum with a strong power play showing at the start of the period. Their first two goals came on successive shifts, occurring 25 seconds apart. After that, the Hurricanes never let the Lightning build up any momentum of their own, even after Brayden Point converted off the rush late in the second period.
There's a reason why the Hurricanes are one of the top teams in the league. They use a relentless forecheck to attack the opposition in waves. That style was on display during the final two periods. They also played a committed defensive game, shutting off the Lightning in the neutral zone and protecting the front of their net when the Lightning move the puck into the Carolina end.
The Lightning weren't able to replicate Monday's strong performance on Tuesday. They will look to bounce back when they host Columbus on Thursday.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1.Jordan Staal - Hurricanes. Goal.
2. Nino Niederreiter - Hurricanes. Goal and assist.
3. Brayden Point - Lightning. Goal.
