The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t make it easy, but they did end up beating the New York Islanders by a score of 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday night. Two goals from Ryan Callahan and a Sami Salo shootout winner were enough to propel the Bolts to victory. The win keeps the team’s now ten game point streak alive and gives them 89 points this season, good enough for third place in the Atlantic Division.
It was interesting to see the lottery-bound Islanders jump out of the gate with speed. Before the Lightning could get any attack generated in the offensive zone, the shots were already 5-0 New York. After that early barrage against, Tampa was able to turn the tide and finish a very strong opening frame. While they weren’t able to beat goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, the Bolts did create a number of quality shot attempts and zone time before the first buzzer rang.
That hard work paid off just 29 seconds into the second period when Ryan Callahan tipped a Radko Gudas point shot by Nabokov to give his Lightning a 1-0 lead. Standing in his wheelhouse right in front of the opposing goaltender, Callahan made something out of what looked like a nothing play. Good things happen when players go to the front of the net and battle for position. Callahan can be counted on to do that shift in and shift out.
Callahan 3, St. Louis 0
— Michael Stuart (@HB_MikeStuart) March 28, 2014If you expected the playoff-bound Lightning to build on that 1-0 lead and waltz past the Islanders, you were sorely disappointed. Ryan Strome banked the puck past Ben Bishop only a minute after Callahan scored to knot things up at one. It was a goal that Bishop will almost certainly want back, and one that really swung momentum back in New York’s favor. Just as the Lightning took over the first frame, the Islanders took control of the second. Tampa was sloppy and disjointed, which made New York look like a decent hockey team.
New York’s dominance netted them a second goal about midway through the period when Matt Donovan scored his second goal of the season, a wrist shot that snuck under Bishop’s arm. The legitimate 2-1 goal came after the Islanders had what looked to be a good goal disallowed on a questionable offside call. I say questionable because I’m not sure that the non-call upheld the spirit of the rule. Either way, the Islanders did get their 2-1 lead and held it into the second intermission.
Give the Islanders credit for building up a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes, but the Lightning absolutely needed to be better. I don’t think it’s unfair to describe the Islanders as lowly, despite what some posters might think. This New York club is destined for yet another early offseason, but the Lightning weren’t able to put them away like a good team would.
Ryan Callahan scored his second goal of the game at the 5:50 mark of the third period after he made a great hold at the blue line and equally great pass to Eric Brewer. Following up on his own play, Callahan knocked a nice rebound past Nabokov for his second of the night and 15th of the season. That goal was huge for the Lightning, as neither team was able to generate much offense in the final stanza.
UPDATE: Callahan 4, St. Louis 0
— Michael Stuart (@HB_MikeStuart) March 28, 2014NYI and TBL in highest scoring shootout in history
— John Kreiser (@jkreiser77nhl) March 28, 2014At the start of that shootout, Marty St. Louis was still a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) March 28, 2014Oh, if you’re looking for a laugh…
Oh my god. http://t.co/JSjfTPuoMa #MagicJohnson #OhNo
— Michael Stuart (@HB_MikeStuart) March 28, 2014