The marquee matchup between Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov lived up to its billing. McDavid scored the opening goal and had numerous dangerous chances throughout the night. But Kucherov delivered a brilliant four-point performance, helping the Lightning rally from the 1-0 deficit and earn their third straight win on the road trip.
Despite surrendering the first-period goal to McDavid, the Lightning didn’t have a poor opening frame. They owned more possession than Edmonton (which helped alleviate pressure) and produced 24 shot attempts. But McDavid was the most dangerous player on the ice during the opening 20 minutes. He created multiple looks off the rush, including one in which he hit the post on a two-on-one. His goal, however, was not off the rush. Instead, it occurred after a Lightning icing infraction in the period’s final minute. He won the ensuing faceoff and tipped in Evan Bouchard’s point shot at 19:38.
The Lightning didn’t trail for long. They tied the game just 1:37 into the second period. At the end of an extended offensive-zone shift, Brandon Hagel tipped a J.J. Moser shot towards the net. It caromed to Kucherov at the side of the goal, and Kucherov fed Anthony Cirelli at the top of the crease. Cirelli attempted two shots—the second slipped through the pads of Connor Ingram.
Several thunderous checks raised the temperature of the game. First, Pontus Holmberg hit Bouchard just inside the Lightning blue line. McDavid grabbed Holmberg, leading to matching minor penalties on both players. After Holmberg left the box, he took a check from both Connor Murphy and Darnell Nurse. Holmberg fought Murphy. Soon after, Hagel was checked along the boards by Vasily Podkolzin and Nurse. Nurse’s check made contact with Hagel’s head. Cirelli engaged Podkolzin, and they fought. Nurse was given an extra minor for an illegal check to the head. Hagel momentarily left the game after absorbing the Nurse hit. Cirelli also went to the room after his fight and missed the rest of the second period.
Nurse’s minor put the Lightning on the power play, and they converted to grab the lead. The Oilers used an aggressive approach on the penalty kill, which worked against them on Jake Guentzel’s goal. Bouchard stepped up to pressure Kucherov at the circle, which opened up a lane to the net for Guentzel from the corner. Guentzel snapped a shot past Ingram’s stick at 12:13. Kucherov earned his second assist of the game.
Under a minute later, the Lightning received a second power play. Not only did they not score, but Kucherov took a penalty while on the PP. Soon after, they were called for another infraction, and the Oilers went on a long five-on-three. Andrei Vasilevskiy made three key saves during the five-on-three to preserve the lead. In addition, the Lightning got great work from the three penalty killers (for much of it, the three killers were Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak, and Hagel, who’d returned from the locker room). The first penalty expired, and Kucherov left the box, heading for the bench to change for another penalty killer. But J.J. Moser collected the puck in the defensive zone and delivered a long outlet to Kucherov, who had nobody between him and Ingram. Kucherov finished his breakaway at 16:58, tallying his first career shorthanded goal. It was an enormous swing in the game, and it allowed the Lightning to take a 3-1 lead into the dressing room after 40 minutes. It also put Kucherov one point ahead of McDavid in the scoring race.
The Oilers benefitted from a lucky bounce at 7:16 of the third. Following a puck battle along the boards in the Tampa Bay end, Oliver Bjorkstrand worked the puck to Emil Lilleberg in front of the Lightning net. But it bounced past both Lilleberg and Vasilevskiy for an own goal. Rookie Josh Samanski, who was the last Edmonton player to touch the puck, earned credit for the goal, his first in the NHL.
The Oilers would get no closer, however. Hagel set up Kucherov for a right-circle one-timer at 15:32 that reestablished a two-goal lead. It was Kucherov’s fourth point of the night and his 40th goal of the season. A late penalty on Cernak put the Oilers on the power play, but Cirelli, who returned for the third, knocked down a pass in the defensive zone and shot the puck down the ice into an empty net. Despite playing limited minutes in the third, Cirelli made the key play during the four-on-six to end any doubt.
The Lightning will look for a four-game sweep of the trip when they finish the back-to-back against a rested Calgary team on Sunday.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Nikita Kucherov — Lightning. Two goals and two assists.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy — Lightning. 25 saves.
- J.J. Moser — Lightning. Assist. Plus three.
