The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a shaky start on Saturday night and ultimately beat a struggling Ottawa Senators team by a score of 4-1. The win, Tampa’s third straight, moves the team’s record to 16-6-2, which puts the team right up near the top of the National Hockey League standings.
Having had a few days of rest prior to puck drop against the Senators, the Bolts were expected to come out hot. They did the exact opposite. The Senators, one of the league’s worst possession teams per Puckalytics.com, controlled the play early. The first period’s shot clock read 9-5 at the buzzer. For further illustration, take a look at this even-strength shot attempts (Corsi) chart:
#TBLightning overcame a shaky start, took control. Good teams do that. 5v5 Corsi chart from @HockeyStatsCa. pic.twitter.com/6VYVqeH0xV
— Michael Stuart (@hockeybuzzstu) November 30, 2014Instead, it had the opposite effect.
As that possession chart shows, the Lightning jumped out of the gate in the second. Ryan Callahan scored their first goal of the night at 5:13. On a rush with Steven Stamkos, Callahan received a smart feed and popped the puck past Robin Lehner; Alex Killorn was credited with the second assist. Don’t look now, but that top line appears to be developing some very nice chemistry. Callahan alone has managed to notch six points in his last three games.
That Callahan goal, his 11th (!) of the year, was the only one scored in the middle frame. Heading into the third period tied at one, Saturday’s tilt was truly up for grabs. That was until Alex Killorn scored his seventh of the season, with help from Anton Stralman and Callahan. He did so only 1:16 into the third period; the goal against was a backbreaker for the Senators.
Before the final buzzer rang, Brenden Morrow and Nikita Kucherov added tallies to help secure the victory and two points. Some great work by Cedric Paquette helped Morrow score his first as a Bolt at 8:09, and then the ‘kid line’ teamed up on the power play at 13:53 to help Kucherov score his ninth. It added up to a solid-looking 4-1 victory.
With this game in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead. The team’s next game will take place on Monday night against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. After that, things look very, very positive for the team that calls Amalie Arena home. Before December’s midway point, the Lightning will face the Sabres twice, the Blue Jackets once, the Capitals twice, and the Hurricanes once. There will be a huge opportunity for the team to pick up some points and separation in the standings before Christmas. It’s up to the guys to make the most of it.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter.