When the Tampa Bay Lightning’s best players are their best players, they become a very difficult team to beat. That was a lesson learned the hard way by the Nashville Predators on Monday night, as Tampa Bay earned a 5-2 win thanks to contributions from Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Ondrej Palat. The win moves the Bolts’ record to an impressive 5-1-1, tied atop the Central Division standings. Here are tonight’s thumbs:
Thumbs Up: Steven Stamkos Sets the Record With his power play goal tonight, Steven Stamkos is now the franchise leader in power play points. It’s crazy to think that he’s amassed 301 man-advantage points in just over 800 career games, but here we are. The Captain continues to be an offensive force in this league, and is showing no signs of stopping any time soon. Tonight, beyond the power play goal, he also assisted on Ondrej Palat’s 1-0 goal midway through the first period.
Thumbs Up: Ondrej Palat’s Hockey Sense That Palat goal in the first was a great encapsulation of everything that represents Ondrej Palat. After failing on a two-on-one rush, so many players around the league would fly by the net and circle back; that’s not Ondrej Palat. He had the presence of mind to know that stopping and following up on the puck was the right play, and he was rewarded for it. Palat isn’t the fastest guy. He’s doesn’t have the hardest shot. He’s not the flashiest player. What he might be, though, is the smartest player on this Lightning roster. His ability to watch the play unfold, read it correctly, and put himself in positions to succeed is unparalleled.
Thumbs Up: Mathieu Joseph Continues to Shine Mathieu Joseph’s start to the season has been really fun to watch. Regardless of where he slots into Jon Cooper’s lineup, he seems to find a way to contribute in a meaningful way. Tonight, he was one of the team’s leaders in five-on-five shot attempt share (Natural Stat Trick), and he assisted on Brayden Point’s third goal of the season. The assist was a thing of beauty, showcasing patience that made Joseph look like a consistent first-line presence rather than a guy who has played the bulk of his minutes on the fourth line:
Brayden Point and Mathieu Joseph (@MathJoseph7).
— NHL (@NHL) February 2, 2021
Big fans of tic-tac-toe. pic.twitter.com/cJsboJ9Pdb
Thumbs Up: Andrei Vasilevskiy Rebounds After a rough outing last game against these Predators, Andrei Vasilevskiy was good tonight. He stopped 25 of 27 shots fired his way, and did more than enough to give his team a chance to win. His play was especially important for the cause in the first and second periods, when Nashville was able to put 22 pucks on net. An off night for Vasilevskiy could have led to a very different result.
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Overall, this was a solid midseason win for a team that views itself as a Stanley Cup contender. They had a job to do, and they got it done. Now, the focus shifts to earning that sixth win of the year; they’ll have a chance to do so against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
As always, thanks for reading.