This was one of the Lightning’s best performances of the season. They met the challenge of facing two of the most dynamic offensive players in the world by keeping the puck off the sticks of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for much of the evening. Still, it was inevitable that McDavid and Draisaitl would get their looks. The duo teamed up for a first-period power-play goal. But other than on that one play, the two superstars (and the rest of the Oilers) were held off the board.
As mentioned above, a big reason was the Lightning’s ability to manage — and possess — the puck. The Lightning held Edmonton to only 36 shot attempts for the game. Simply put, the Oilers didn’t have the puck. Which meant that McDavid and Draisailt didn’t have the puck.
Even with limited possession time, however, McDavid and Draisaitl still created some isolated five-on-five chances. They produced seven of Edmonton’s 24 shots on goal in the game. Draisaitl finished what was Edmonton’s only power-play shot. But Vasilevskiy stopped the other six, all of which came from close range. Vasilevskiy got help from defenseman Ryan McDonagh too. McDonagh single-handedly broke up multiple plays involving McDavid and/or Draisaitl (at times, they were on the ice together during five-on-five action).
The Lightning’s ability to manage the puck did more than just allow them to dominate possession. They produced numerous scoring chances. Stuart Skinner had a strong outing in net for Edmonton. Two of his best saves came in the opening minutes when he denied a couple of point-blank Brandon Hagel shots. But he was unable to deny Mikey Eyssimont’s in-alone chance at 13:11. That was a key goal for the Lightning as it came just 1:18 after the Draisaitl power-play goal had given the Oilers a lead.
Hagel’s wrap-around goal at :29 of the second put the Lightning ahead. He skated behind the net and finished on his backhand, tucking the puck past the stick of defenseman Evan Bouchard and off Skinner. Overlapping high-sticking minors on Edmonton gave the Lightning an extended five-on-three, and they converted. Victor Hedman’s shot from the high slot deflected off Mattias Janmark’s stick and caromed into the top of the net at 5:38. It was the Lightning’s first five-on-three goal scored this season.
The Lightning spent most of the second period possessing the puck in the offensive zone. At the other end, Vasilevskiy provided timely saves to preserve the two-goal lead after 40 minutes. Nick Paul’s redirection goal at 7:23 of the third extended the advantage. After Paul’s tally, the Oilers managed to post just two shot attempts for the rest of the game. Those shots were the result of a broken play in which the puck hit a stanchion behind the Lightning net and ricocheted into the slot. Matt Savoie put two shots on net that Vasilevskiy stopped. Over the final 10:43, the Oilers registered not a single shot attempt.
Keeping McDavid and Draisaitl in check was one of the game’s biggest keys. Vasilevskiy’s work in net helped. Also, the Lightning used a five-man unit of Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Zemgus Girgensons, McDonagh, and Erik Cernak to match against McDavid (and Draisaitl, when they were on the same line). Like Vasilevskiy, those five had a terrific game. But ultimately, this was a team win. Every player had a role in the Lightning’s ability to dictate play throughout the night.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
Ryan McDonagh — Lightning
Erik Cernak — Lightning.
Brandon Hagel — Lightning. GWG.
