Bolts rally to draw with Carolina

In the second game of the 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase, the Tampa Bay Lightning scored a game-tying goal late in the third period to force overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes, but neither team was able to score in the extra frame, ending the contest in a 3-3 tie. Invitee Ben Gaudreau got the start in goal for the Lightning and made 26 saves

The Bolts came out of the gates with plenty of pace and opened the contest with a 9-1 shot advantage before scoring the first goal of the game at the 8:47 mark of the first period.

The play started when Tristan Allard won a puck battle along the boards in the offensive zone and sent a pass below the goal line for Maxim Groshev. Showcasing some impressive hockey sense, Groshev sent a no-look, forehand pass to the front of the net where Ethan Gauthier was waiting to fire a quick one-timer over the shoulder of Yaniv Perets and into the back of the net for his first goal of the Showcase.

Despite being shorthanded twice with no power play opportunities of their own, the Lightning nearly went into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead with Waltteri Merela ringing a shot off the near post on a shorthanded 2-on-1 with about three minutes left in the period. The Bolts still managed to finish the opening frame with a 12-8 shot advantage and the one-goal lead.

With 5:37 remaining in the second period and Tampa Bay still holding the 1-0 lead, Hurricanes defenseman Griffin Mendel was whistled for interference, sending the Bolts to the power play for the first time Saturday afternoon.

Following a smooth entry into the Carolina zone, the Lightning top power-play unit showcased some crisp puck movement that ended with Merela firing a shot through the five hole of Perets to double the Tampa Bay lead 52 seconds into the man advantage.

After Ilya Usau found Gage Goncalves near the top of the offensive zone, Goncalves put a pass right on the tape of Merela in the slot before he lit the lamp for his second power-play goal in as many games.

“Our work ethic’s been really high,” said Goncalves when asked about Tampa Bay’s play through two contests at the Showcase. “It’s still our first and second game in however many months. Maybe your breath’s not there. The legs probably tighten up going into the third.

“But we’ve done a really good job of tracking back, helping out our goalie down low, and doing all the little things like blocking shots. How many guys did we have block shots tonight? It was countless.

“It’s awesome to see that so early in the season. We’re making pretty big strides going into Monday.”

Going into the third period up 2-0 with a 20-17 shot advantage, the Lightning quickly saw the lead disappear after Carolina rattled off two consecutive goals just 2:43 apart to even the score at two apiece. After a cross-checking penalty sent Tampa Bay to the penalty kill with 9:20 remaining in regulation, the Hurricanes capitalized with a third-straight goal to take a 3-2 lead at the 11:57 mark of the third period.

With the Bolts now being the team playing from behind, a big opportunity presented itself with 5:53 left in the third when Carolina’s Beau Jelsma was sent to the box for holding. And while Tampa Bay was unable to even the score with the man advantage, the game-tying goal came just nine seconds after Jelsma exited the penalty box with Jack Thompson firing a shot from the point that beat Perets and tied the game at three.

“We came out really strong in the first period,” Thompson said after the game. “I thought the work ethic was there all game, but I think we kind of let off the crispness in the second there and they got a couple in the third at the start.

“Then we got back to it though. That shows good perseverance by our group there to come back. It was a good game.”

With a five-man shootout taking place at the conclusion of every game at the Showcase, Tampa Bay got a couple goals from Felix Robert and Gauthier, who has now scored a shootout goal in two consecutive contests.

Now that two games are in the books, the Bolts will have a day to rest up on Sunday before wrapping up the Showcase with a 1 p.m. contest against the Florida Panthers Monday afternoon at Hertz Arena.

“Just try to keep doing what we’re doing,” Goncalves said. “I think we’ve done a lot of really good things, as long as we can clean up a little bit more execution.

“Obviously, it’s rough the first two games. It’s not the best ice out there once it gets to the third, but I think if our execution is there on Monday, we’re going to have a really good chance to win.”