The Backcheck: Penalties prove costly in loss to Jets

The Tampa Bay Lightning closed out their three-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Friday night.
The Bolts struggled to stay out of the box in Winnipeg with eight minor penalties on the night, including surrendering two goals during extended 5-on-3 opportunities for the Jets.

"How many 5-on-3s you're up against in one season, you count on maybe one hand," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. "We gave them two, minute and a half 5-on-3s in one game.
"Unacceptable. That shouldn't happen."
The Bolts didn't surrender a single goal at 5-on-5 on Friday night, with Winnipeg scoring once during a 4-on-4, twice on a 5-on-3, and once shorthanded into the empty net with 1:26 remaining in regulation.

"It's a complete lack of discipline," said Cooper. "It was embarrassing what we did."
Tampa Bay opened the scoring at the 11:48 mark of the first period when Anthony Cirelli banged home a rebound in front of the net after a Steven Stamkos shot from the right circle bounced off the right pad of Connor Hellebuyck and right onto the tape of Cirelli. It marked Cirelli's second goal of the season and fourth goal in four career games in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg's 4-on-4 goal came with less than a minute remaining in the first period and tied the game heading into the intermission, but the Lightning outshot the Jets 12-4 through the first 20 minutes.
The Bolts struck early in the second period and took the lead once again when Nikita Kucherov, who was playing in his 600th career game, took a pass from Ian Cole and ripped a wrist shot from the right circle that snuck past Hellebuyck. Cirelli picked up the secondary assist for the 100th assist of his career.
But Winnipeg answered again when Dubois scored his second goal of the game, deflecting a point shot from Josh Morrissey on a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game at two with 12:55 remaining in the second period.
Going into the third period on the road with the game tied at two, the Bolts were in a good spot to collect points on the final game of the road trip, but back-to-back penalties cost Tampa Bay again as the Jets benefited from another extended 5-on-3 and capitalized when Mikhail Sergachev's stick broke, and Kyle Connor scored on a one-timer to make it a 3-2 game with 14:22 remaining.
"Good on Winnipeg," said Cooper. "Honestly, it was really a nothing game going on. That game could've been 0-0 and a shootout.
"They stayed disciplined and just said, 'Sit back and wait for Tampa to screw it up,' and they did. That's what happened."
The Lightning outshot Winnipeg 11-7 in the third, but Morgan Barron's late empty-net goal sealed the 4-2 win for the Jets.
In the end, Tampa Bay just spent too much time in the penalty box and lacked discipline with stick infractions, delay of game penalties and dustups after the whistle.

"Penalties have been an issue for our team, up and down the lineup," said Bolts defenseman Ian Cole. "Just too many, and I'm certainly a part of that. I can be way better.
"It takes our best players off the ice. Our skill guys, we want on the ice as much as possible."
Over the years, the Lightning have aimed to acquire the same number of points as games played on road trips. On this three-game trip, Tampa Bay walked away with two points after a win over Chicago in the first game of the trip.
The team will now have a little time to reset, with the next game set for Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at AMALIE Arena.
"We really wanted to win this game and I think we're very disappointed that we didn't," said Cole. "To go into the two days off here coming up, heading back home for a couple games, this one hurts. This one stings for sure."