Shots on goal were hard to find and two standings points went unclaimed by the Tampa Bay Lightning as a result on Tuesday at Benchmark International Arena as the Bolts suffered a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Lightning are now 39-20-4 this season after a game in which the Lightning were outshot 31 to 18 and the visitors took advantage of turnovers and power-play chances.
“Our execution was off,” forward Anthony Cirelli said. "It’s a good team over there that can make plays and put pucks in the net, and we gave them too many chances. We didn't execute well. It feels like the last little while here that we’ve got to figure out how to just get back to our game and simplify it.”
Lightning captain Victor Hedman moved up the record books to help Tampa Bay take a 1-0 lead in the first period, blasting a slap shot from the left point that was redirected by forward Gage Goncalves for the opening goal with 6:22 left in the frame.
The assist was the 638th of Hedman’s career to pass Borje Salming for third-most by a Swedish-born defenseman in NHL history. The goal was Goncalves’ 21st point on the season, setting a new career high.
It was the last lead of the night for the home team after Columbus rattled off three straight goals in the second period to take over, beginning with the tying goal 5:57 into the frame on a shot from defenseman Ivan Provorov.
Conor Garland gave Columbus its first lead 30 seconds later on a shot from the high slot, and the Blue Jackets made it 3-1 with 8:18 left in the period on a power-play one-timer by Kirill Marchenko in the left faceoff circle.
“It's simplifying the game. It's not trying to do the complicated passes if you don't have them, it's going back to your battle level,” JJ Moser said. "And another part of it is just patience. I guess, as much as you want it, you can't always have perfect execution. And if you don't have it, you’ve just got to work on it and stay patient, and eventually it will come back.”
Tampa Bay punched back, restoring the one-goal game with a rip from Moser late in the second period. Moser accepted a won faceoff by Cirelli in the offensive zone and fired a shot that beat Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins on the glove side to make it 3-2.
Tampa Bay was outshot 21 to 12 through two periods, mustering six shots on goal at even strength. The Blue Jackets added to their lead with their second power-play goal of the night, this one from Garland, four minutes into the third period.
Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro capped the night with an empty-net goal.
“I didn't think we showed that tonight of our process and the way that we want to play a game,” Cirelli said. "That was nowhere near how good we can be. We’ve just got to get back to that. In practice, in video sessions, we’ve just got to get back to playing that North game, playing that quick game on the forecheck, being hard to play against, all the little things.”
The Lightning now aim to get their 40th win of the season on Thursday when they host a divisional opponent in the Detroit Red Wings.
Despite the Lightning suffering a string of losses out of the Olympic break, there is a renewed focus—not panic—in the dressing room.
"I learned a long time ago, you can't ride these emotions. When you're rolling and winning and we were doing everything we did before the break, I wasn't raising pom-poms,” coach Jon Cooper said. "And when it's going bad, you can't put your head down and kick the can. This is all part of it.
"There's tons of faith in the room. We're still in a playoff spot as of today. So if you were going to tell me after game 62 or 63 we'd be in a playoff spot, I'd be super pumped. So it doesn't really matter how you get here. Now, it just matters how we finish. So we're all good.”
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
1. Conor Garland, CBJ (2 goals)
2. Zach Werenski, CBJ (2 assists)
3. JJ Moser, TBL (Goal)
