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The Tampa Bay Lightning needed a win. The Tampa Bay Lightning won. In another incredibly strong performance, the Bolts came out soaring against the Philadelphia Flyers. With goals from likely and unlikely sources combined with yet another solid performance from Anders Lindback, the Bolts managed to leap-frog the Flyers in the Eastern Conference standings. While the road to the playoffs is still a long and arduous one, Monday’s 4-2 victory over the Flyers certainly gives this team a much needed boost.
Right from puck drop, the Lightning’s speed was incredibly apparent. To be blunt – the guys in blue were skating circles around the Flyers. It was a spirited start to the game that emphasized that this Lightning team has not given up on its season. This team will continue to fight until the schedule says it can’t fight anymore. With solid coaching and a number of star players heating up, the Lightning might be in better shape than a lot of people think.
The Lightning got off to a great start in their tilt against the Flyers, as Ondrej Palat opened the scoring with his second career goal in as many nights. He fired a great wrist shot from the slot that beat Ilya Bryzgalov and ultimately gave the Lightning a boost of confidence that they would use to bolster a full sixty minute effort.
Max Talbot would even the score midway through the first with a slick back-hander that beat Anders Lindback. Talbot, who was buzzing all game and could have easily had a multiple goal night, beat Martin St. Louis to the inside and sneakily got the puck through the Lightning’s tender. Despite the fact that his team didn’t win the contest, Talbot certainly made an argument for himself to be named the game’s first star. Simply put, he was phenomenal.
With only minutes remaining in the first frame, Tom Pyatt tipped in a Tyler Johnson shot to grab his sixth of the season and give the Bolts a much needed 2-1 lead. As mentioned earlier, unlikely names showed up on the score sheet for the Lightning and that’s always a welcome sight. The fact that Ondrej Palat and Tom Pyatt were able to give the Lightning a huge first period lead just showed that this team has got better depth than a lot of folks give it credit for.
Claude Giroux tied the game towards the end of the second period with a blazing wrist shot that beat Lindback from a fair distance. Giroux, who is arguably the one of the most complete players in the game today, came up big when his team needed him in the middle frame. Captains need to score tying goals at big moments, and Giroux did just that. It was an unassisted effort that added up to his ninth of the season.
Early in the third period, an odd sequence took place that saw Ryan Malone get drilled in the back of the neck by Zac Rinaldo without a penalty call, and Radko Gudas head off for a phantom tripping call after a failed hip check. With the game tied, it seemed like a pivotal “seize the day” moment for the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, karma isn’t always the friendliest of beasts. It was the Lightning who managed to kill off the Gudas penalty and score seconds later when Teddy Purcell tipped in a Keith Aulie shot. Thanks to Purcell’s second goal in as many games, the Lightning acquired a 3-2 lead that they ultimately wouldn’t relinquish.
Steven Stamkos capped off the Lightning’s offensive charge with an empty netter that stood as his 200th career goal. While the goal was far from the prettiest of his career, congratulations are certainly in order. Stamkos is, and will continue to be, the premier scoring threat in the National Hockey League. The fact that members of Bolts Nation have been lucky enough to see all 200 tallies in such a short period of time is an absolute treat. Congrats to you, Stammer. Here’s to many more!
All in all, the Lightning needed this victory and a performance like this one. The stars scored, the supporting cast contributed, and Anders Lindback stopped 28 of 30 shots fired his way. It's hard to ask for much more. Now sitting in 11th place and only five points back of the division lead, there is a great deal of hope for this Lightning team. According to Sports Club Stats, the Lightning have a 36% chance of making the post-season. While those aren’t necessarily great odds, don’t nod off to sleep quite yet. The 2013 Lightning are very much alive.
As always, thanks for reading.
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