This was a solid performance for the Lightning to help them build on Saturday’s comeback victory and enter the holiday break on a two-game winning streak.
On Saturday, Jon Cooper moved Anthony Cirelli onto a line with Pontus Holmberg and Zemgus Girgensons. That line started this game and scored thirty-one seconds into the contest. Holmberg tipped a Darren Raddysh shot past Jordan Binnington.
Before the period was halfway over, the Lightning had doubled their lead. With only three seconds left on a power-play chance, Raddysh ripped a shot from the high slot that hit off Justin Faulk and caromed into the net.
Despite firing only six shots on net during the period, the Lightning might have scored more than two goals. Binnington made a remarkable lunging pad save on Declan Carlile shortly after the Holmberg goal.
Faulk’s right-point slapshot at 6:43 of the second got St. Louis on the board. But soon after, Cirelli deflected Raddysh’s center-point shot—it bounced off the ice and skipped past Binnington at 8:01. The point for Raddysh was his 100th in the NHL.
The Blues would get no closer. The Lightning finished the scoring at 5:36 of the third when Oliver Bjorkstrand one-timed a Jake Guentzel pass into the net during a power play. Bjorkstrand collected his 400th career point.
The Lightning managed the rest of the third period well. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all eight third-period shots he faced. It was a night in which he finished with 23 saves overall, only a few of which were dangerous looks.
This game was reminiscent of some of the wins the Lightning posted during their 15-3-0 stretch earlier this season. They outplayed the opposition and got rewarded.
The Lightning will have four days off during the holiday break before resuming action on Saturday in Sunrise against the Panthers.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Darren Raddysh — Lightning. Goal and two assists. 100 career points.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy — Lightning. 23 saves.
- Declan Carlile — Lightning.
