One night after the Lightning rallied late for a dramatic comeback win, they lost a game in dramatic fashion, surrendering the winning goal with just over a second remaining. The late tally from Mark Scheifele spoiled a second-straight third-period Lightning comeback.
After facing three straight opponents who were playing the second half of a back-to-back, the Lightning were the disadvantaged team in this matchup against the Jets. It didn’t help matters for Tampa Bay when Brayden Point left the game in the first period and didn’t return.
The Lightning looked like a team that had played and traveled the night before. They didn’t possess the same jump as they’d displayed against Minnesota on Saturday, and their execution was off for much of the evening.
Compounding matters, the Lightning fell behind in the second period and were forced to chase the game. The Jets broke the scoreless tie with a Cole Perfetti power-play goal at 1:53 of the middle stanza. It came moments after the Lightning had a shorthanded rush that didn’t yield a goal. The Jets countered quickly up the ice, and Scheifele set up Perfetti in the slot for a one-timer into the top of the net.
The Lightning received four of the game’s first five power plays (the lone Winnipeg chance led to the Perfetti goal) but generated very little on those man advantages. The Jets won eight of nine shorthanded faceoffs, a big key to their PK success. On the shift after killing one of those Lightning power plays, the Jets added to their lead. Morgan Barron finished a right-circle one-timer off a Neal Pionk pass at 12:38.
When Pontus Holmberg was assessed a high-sticking double-minor in the third period, and Brayden Yager converted for his first NHL goal (and NHL point) at 8:10, the score became 3-0. Yager managed to score his goal just before the first penalty ended, so the Jets stayed on the power play for another two minutes. On the shift after the second penalty ended, however, the Lightning got on the board. Anthony Cirelli stripped Yager behind the Winnipeg net and fed Brandon Hagel in front for an open look. Hagel scored at 10:22.
Minutes later, the Lightning netted two more goals to tie the game. Holmberg tallied both, converting on loose pucks at the side of the Winnipeg net. Shockingly, the Lightning were in position to gain points out of the game.
But two late penalties proved to be their undoing. Yanni Gourde took an offensive-zone penalty at 18:15, and then, during the ensuing five-on-four kill, Erik Cernak closed his hand on the puck. The Jets received a five-on-three with just under 53 seconds left in the third. If the Lightning could survive the rest of regulation, they’d at least earn a point out of the game.
The Lightning almost got through it. With time ticking down, Ryan McDonagh attempted to kill the remaining seconds by securing the puck in the corner. Instead, Gabe Vilardi dislodged it to Perfetti, who hurried a pass in front to an open Scheifele. He zipped the puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy with just over one second remaining.
The Lightning deserve credit for battling back from the three-goal deficit, especially given the scheduling circumstances. But the comeback makes the final result all the more frustrating.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
- Mark Scheifele — Jets. GWG, assist.
- Pontus Holmberg — Lightning. Two goals.
- Morgan Barron — Jets. Goal.
