On the other hand, there were some positives for the Lightning during the opening 40 minutes. They defended well without the puck, so they limited the number of Carolina shots and scoring chances. The Hurricanes are a team that likes to funnel a lot of pucks to the net, but despite their possession advantage, they managed just 19 shots during the first two periods. The Lightning's PK was - again - outstanding. They killed three penalties, holding Carolina to just one total shot on the power play. Yanni Gourde's match penalty ended up being a three-minute kill for the Lightning due to a minor penalty assessed to Carolina at the same time. The Lightning gained momentum from that three-minute kill and scored on the shift after the penalty ended - that was Tyler Johnson's rebound goal in the final minute of the first period.
It's also true that during the opening 40 minutes, the Lightning committed three mistakes that led to the Carolina goals: one was a d-zone turnover and the other two were on rush coverage. But thanks to their overall solid defensive play, the penalty kill, a Steven Stamkos power play goal and Johnson's tally, they were only down 3-2 heading into the third.
That's when the Lightning found their legs. Certainly, Anthony Cirelli's goal during a four-on-four, which came at 3:35 and tied the game, was an important spark. From that point on, the Lightning decisively carried play. They posted 15 shots in the period, nearly doubling their total from the first two periods combined, and generated dangerous scoring chances. At 10:09, Ryan Callahan tipped in Victor Hedman's point shot, giving the Lightning a 4-3 lead. Carolina committed two penalties in the final 10 minutes - one of those short-circuited a strong Hurricanes shift right after Callahan's goal and the other led to Brayden Point's insurance goal.
Circumstances favored the Hurricanes in this one. They were the rested team that hadn't played or traveled the night before. In the end, it didn't matter. The Lightning, playing for most of the game without Gourde and facing a deficit heading into the third, prevailed anyway.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
1. Anthony Cirelli - Lightning. Goal.
2. Ryan Callahan - Lightning. GWG on birthday.
3. Steven Stamkos - Lightning. PPG and two assists.
