The Tampa Bay Lightning stole victory from the jaws of defeat last night against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that just seems to know what buttons to push against them. The result was a somewhat undeserved 3-2 win, which snapped the team’s three-game losing streak and kept them atop the Central Division standings. Here are last night’s thumbs:

Thumbs Up: Andrei Vasilevskiy Saves the Day
The Lightning needed Andrei Vasilevskiy to be incredibly good last night, and thankfully for them he was. He stopped 36 of 38 shots fired his way.

Whenever the Bolts and Blue Jackets get together, offence seems to be at a premium for Tampa; that makes every save from Vasilevskiy very significant. Even so, last night was another example in what has become an all-too-concerning trend of this group relying far too much on its goaltender.

Thumbs Up: The Fourth Line Chips in… Again
Even though their underlying numbers were really quite dreadful, the Pat Maroon/Ross Colton/Mathieu Joseph trio played a major role in this victory. That role, specifically, came in the form of Colton’s game-tying goal, scored with just a few minutes left in the third period. Assisted by both Maroon and Joseph, the goal came after a slick zone entry and quick snapshot; it wasn’t exactly the kind of goal you might expect a fourth line to score.

To that point, the fourth line hasn’t been performing like you might expect a fourth line to perform since Ross Colton’s arrival. He’s been such a breath of fresh air for this Lightning team, and certainly looks like someone who might be able to slot in on higher lines should the need arise. Six points in ten games, playing fourth line minutes, is nothing to sneeze at.

Thumbs Up: Ryan McDonagh’s Return
Again, the underlying numbers paint a fairly bleak picture of Ryan McDonagh’s performance in his return from injury, but the key storyline here is that he returned from injury. Given how bad the Lightning’s defence has looked in his absence, that can’t be described as anything other than a major win. It may take him a game or two to get back up to speed, but once there he is undoubtedly a better option than the placeholders that have been filling his spot.

Thumbs Up: Brayden Point Shines in Big Moments
Calling someone “clutch” in sports might be an overused expression, though it’s hard to say that it doesn’t describe Brayden Point perfectly. His opening goal, in particular, was a great example of this whole Lightning team at its best. When the puck movement on the power play touches on numerous lethal triggers, defences get confused. Point was able to take advantage.

Thumbs Down: Cal Foote’s Struggles
Rookie defencemen are going to make rookie mistakes, and that’s exactly what Cal Foote did on Columbus’ second goal. He was just simply beat to the outside, despite having a head start and good positioning when Columbus started their breakout. It was the cherry on top of what was an underwhelming night for Number-52. The good news, though? People are more than happy to put up with mistakes like that from a young player with immense potential.

Thumbs Down: The Lack of Consistency
This Lightning group is really hit and miss right now – and it’s not even just from game to game. Last night, it was a shift to shift thing. Good shifts would be followed by lazy shifts. Offensive zone time would be followed by defensive zone time. While some might say that’s indicative of an evenly-played hockey game, it just feels different right now for this Lightning club. I don’t know how to explain it.

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The Lightning are back in action on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

As always, thanks for reading.

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