TBLvsCHI_ExtraShift

This frustrating loss for the Lightning had familiar elements: they ran in a hot opposing goaltender, made isolated but costly mistakes, and were on the wrong side of the game’s biggest moments.

Arvid Soderblom played very well against the Lightning last Friday in Chicago. He was even better in this contest. He finished with 34 saves and denied numerous high-danger chances. He was especially sharp in the first period, a frame in which the Lightning generated some of their best looks. Brayden Point’s shot from the slot at 3:34 beat Soderblom on the stick side, but that would be the only goal Lightning scored in the game. They might have built a multi-goal lead in the opening period. Soderblom stopped eight shots, and the Lightning missed the net on some of their other Grade-A first-period opportunities.

The Lightning also squandered three power-play chances in the first period. Two of those came on a Pat Maroon double-minor with just under four minutes left in the period.

So the Lightning only led by a goal after one period. The ‘Hawks then rallied in the second period. The Lightning aided the Chicago comeback with a couple of critical errors. During their first penalty kill of the night, Erik Cernak went for a big hit on Teuvo Teravainen. Teravainen didn’t have the puck, and Cernak was whistled for interference. That infraction gave Chicago a long five-on-three. While the Blackhawks didn’t convert on the two-man advantage, they did tie the game with five seconds left on the Cernak minor. Connor Bedard scored with an incredible shot from the bottom of the right circle that found a small opening over Jonas Johansson’s left shoulder at 10:19.

The second error came late in the frame. Darren Raddysh was shaken up as he chased a puck behind the Chicago net. He was out of the play as the puck came back into the Lightning’s end. Raddysh was able to make his way to the bench, but the Lightning were essentially down to four players until Raddysh could get off the ice. Instead of waiting for that player change to occur, the Lightning attempted to play the puck. It was intercepted in the neutral zone, and the ‘Hawks countered with numbers. Landon Slaggert zipped an open look from the left circle into the top of the net at 18:14.

Last Friday, the Blackhawks failed to protect a one-goal third-period lead, getting outshot, 17-1. They played this third period on their toes, however, and added a key insurance tally at 8:02. A Seth Jones shot from the point went wide, but the puck came off the end boards to the other side of the net. Ryan Donato finished into an open cage.

Soderblom stopped 15 third-period shots, including several more high-danger looks. Teravainen finished the scoring with an empty-netter.

As has been the case in many of their January games, the Lightning couldn’t finish on some of their best looks. The ‘Hawks did.

The Lightning will look to turn their fortunes around when they continue the homestand on Thursday against Los Angeles.

Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):

  • Arvid Soderblom — Blackhawks. 34 saves.
  • Seth Jones — Blackhawks. Two assists.
  • Gage Goncalves — Lightning.