The Lightning began this three-game road trip facing one of the best teams in the NHL. In particular, the Dallas Stars have been dominant at home this year. They entered this contest having won eight straight on home ice, tying the second-longest streak in franchise history. So it was going to be a challenging test for the Lightning. But they met the challenge, delivering an outstanding performance. They played well enough to gain two points. Thanks to their triumph in the shootout, they got those two points.
For most of the night, the Lightning dictated the terms of action. They forced the Stars to spend plenty of time defending in the Dallas end. They effectively closed off Dallas plays through the neutral zone and in the Tampa Bay end. They avoided costly turnovers. They limited rush chances. They kept high-danger looks to a minimum.
The Lightning scored one goal in the first period, a tic-tac-toe passing sequence between Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel. Hagel finished into an open side of the net at 4:35. The Lightning might have added a second goal in the opening period, but Casey DeSmith kept his team’s deficit at one. Still, in terms of possession, it was a dominant showing for the Lightning. They held the Stars to just 11 shot attempts.
The second Lightning goal came 7:21 into the middle period. Yanni Gourde won a board battle in the Tampa Bay end and worked the puck to Cirelli, who lifted it forward. Hagel skated onto the puck and forced his way to the net. DeSmith stopped Hagel’s shot but was out of position for the rebound. Cirelli followed the puck and tucked it in.
The shift after a goal is an important one, and the Stars answered the Cirelli goal 37 seconds later with a tally of their own. Their fourth line of Sam Steel, Colin Blackwell, and Oskar Back gave the Stars their first extended offensive-zone shift since the early part of the first period. Back tipped a Blackwell shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy, cutting the Lightning lead in half.
Soon after, the Stars received their first power-play chance of the game. The Lightning did well to kill most of it off. But with time winding down on the penalty, Matt Duchene threw a puck to the net. Jamie Benn tipped it. Vasilevskiy made a difficult save but couldn’t fully control the rebound, which landed in the crease. Just before Vasilevskiy could cover the puck with his glove, Mason Marchment jabbed it into the net. The goal came with one second remaining on the power play.
The Lightning had another penalty kill later in the period, but they navigated through it successfully. It was a 2-2 game after 40 minutes.
During the first meeting between the clubs in November, the Stars broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of third-period goals. On this night, the Lightning produced a much cleaner third period. As they did in the first period, they had a possession edge, one they gained with strong puck management and a commitment to winning battles in all three zones. They also generated several tremendous scoring chances. DeSmith recorded 12 third-period saves and kept the game tied. He was a big reason why the Stars got a point out of this game.
Overtime was scoreless. In the shootout, the Lightning trailed by a goal entering Round Three. But Vasilevskiy stopped Wyatt Johnston, and Kucherov scored to extend it to Round Four. After Vasilevskiy saved Mikko Rantanen’s shot, Gage Goncalves converted to give the Lightning a well-deserved second point.
It was a terrific start to the road trip, which continues Saturday in Utah.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
- Brandon Hagel — Lightning. Goal and assist.
- Anthony Cirelli — Lightning. Goal and assist.
- Casey DeSmith — Stars. 36 saves.
