Lightning lose to Blue Jackets, fail to clinch third in Atlantic

COLUMBUS -- The Tampa Bay Lightning failed to clinch third place in the Atlantic Division, losing 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

The Lightning are one point ahead of the Boston Bruins with one game remaining for each. Tampa Bay plays at the New York Islanders on Friday, when Boston visits the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 on Thursday.
"We didn't play good enough," Tampa Bay forward Pat Maroon said. "We've got to be better. We're fighting for who we're playing, but it doesn't matter.
"We need all the points we can get. If you move on in the playoffs you try to get that home-ice advantage the best you can."
Nikita Kucherov tied a Tampa Bay record by scoring for an eighth straight game, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each had two assists, and Brian Elliott made 30 saves for the Lightning (50-23-8), who had won four straight.
"We've got some extremely important games coming up here and you want to be feeling a little bit better about your game than the feeling we leave with tonight," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "Give Columbus credit. They've got a bunch of new guys. They came out and they tried and they got rewarded for it. We tiptoed around the game and we paid for it. But we have to be better than this, there's no doubt about that."

Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, and Elvis Merzlikins made 25 saves for the Blue Jackets (37-37-7), who had lost five of six, including 4-1 at the Lightning on Tuesday.
"It's good for all of our young guys to get a taste and see where you need to be against a good team like that," Columbus center Cole Sillinger said. "A lot of guys stepped up."
Maroon had a goal overturned at 9:50 of the first period when the Blue Jackets challenged for goaltender interference.
Jakub Voracek gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 16:03, one-timing a return pass from Kent Johnson for his first goal in 15 games.
Kucherov tied it 1-1 at 10:15 of the second period with a power-play goal. He has 10 goals during his streak. Brian Bradley scored eight goals in an eight-game streak for the Lightning from Nov. 11-24, 1992.
Sillinger put Columbus ahead 2-1 at 10:47, scoring in front off Bjorkstrand's pass from below the goal line.

Jack Roslovic made it 3-1 on the power play 15 seconds into third period with his 10th goal in his past nine games. Jake Bean sent a stretch pass to Gustav Nyquist, who fed Roslovic in the right face-off circle.
Bjorkstrand pushed the lead to 4-1 at 9:05 with a wrist shot from the right circle, scoring for the third straight game.
"It's fun to win the last home game and fun to win against a two-time (defending) Stanley Cup champion," Bjorkstrand said.
Corey Perry cut it to 4-2 at 16:54 on the power play with Elliott pulled for the extra attacker, and Andrew Peeke scored into an empty net at 18:09 for the 5-2 final.
"Does not surprise me, the effort," Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. "This is what I expected from this group. They dig in. We have done it all year. We said we were going to play right to the end, and they have been."
Maroon said, "We're fighting for points right now and we need the points. That's not the effort we needed tonight. We have one more game, the dress rehearsal before the big playoffs start."
NOTES:Stamkos has 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) during an eight-game point streak. … Kucherov has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) during an eight-game point streak. … Hedman has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) during a seven-game point streak. … Tampa Bay was 2-for-7 on the power play and has scored at least once with the man-advantage in seven straight games. … Roslovic has seven points (five goals, two assists) during a six-game point streak. … Columbus defensemen Zach Werenski and Nick Blankenburg did not dress. Each was injured Tuesday. Werenski broke his nose being hit by a puck, and Blankenburg sustained an upper-body injury. They will not play in the season finale at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. Gabriel Carlsson (assist, 12:32 of ice time) and Gavin Bayreuther (two hits, blocked shot in 11:39) replaced them.