Mishkin's Extra Shift: Lightning 6, Flyers 5 - OT

Certainly, there's a lot to unpack from this one. So many twists and turns. Early on, Louis Domingue kept his team in the game. Then, in the second period and first half of the third, the Lightning executed some high-level plays to build a 5-1 lead. The Flyers, buoyed by two quick power play goals, regained momentum in the second half of the third and tacked on two more tallies to tie the game. Overtime was wide-open but brief - Anthony Cirelli's determined effort to maintain control of the puck led to his winning goal.

Domingue was outstanding in the opening period, stopping 18 Philadelphia shots and keeping the game scoreless. The Lightning did not defend particularly well and the Flyers were hungry on pucks. Domingue dealt with point-blank shots, screened shots and several Grade-A chances.
The Lightning's defensive play improved in the second period. Not only did they tighten their coverage, they also had more puck possession themselves. They also were able to translate offensive zone time into dangerous looks. A goalmouth scramble in front of Calvin Pickard led to a delay of game penalty on Scott Laughton. On the ensuing power play, Yanni Gourde and Adam Erne teamed up on a give-and-go off the rush. Erne wristed a shot from the right circle over Pickard's glove. Later in the period, Erne cut from the left circle to the slot and drew the attention of the Philadelphia defenders. He slid a backhand pass to Cedric Paquette at the left circle, who snapped a quick shot off Pickard and in.
Paquette was shaken up after blocking a shot moments before James van Riemsdyk scored a power play goal for the Flyers. So Brayden Point filled in for Paquette a couple of shifts later. Braydon Coburn poke-checked the puck off Radko Gudas' stick in the neutral zone and that allowed Erne, Point and Callahan to counter. Point finished a quick passing sequence by redirecting a Callahan dish into the net. The Lightning took a 3-1 lead into the locker room after 40 minutes.
The third period was really a frame with three separate, distinct chapters. For the first eight minutes or so, the Lightning clamped down defensively. It was reminiscent of how well they played with the lead during the third period two nights earlier in Pittsburgh. The Flyers had very little activity in the Lightning's end and didn't even register a shot on goal until Travis Konecny's attempt at the eight-minute mark. That's when the second chapter began. After Domingue made the save, Konecny interfered with Victor Hedman, who was pursuing the puck behind the net. The Flyers and the fans didn't like the call. Adding to their displeasure was the slashing call on Claude Giroux moments later. He knocked the stick out of Point's hand on the Lightning power play. At one time in the sport of hockey, they was a smart play, not a penalty. But that's been consistently called a penalty for several years now. Plus, the slash created a two-on-one shorthanded chance for the Flyers. So the penalty was called. And the Lightning took only 10 seconds to score on the five-on-three, then 11 more seconds to add another on the five-on-four.
But the Lightning didn't maintain the four-goal lead for long. They took a penalty on the shift after their fifth goal and the Flyers cashed in on the ensuing power play. That goal, along with the perceived injustice of the earlier penalties, sparked the Flyers. About a minute later, Domingue robbed Konecny from the low slot, but J.T. Miller was called for a penalty on the play. The Flyers, who haven't been getting many bounces lately (they hit four goal posts in their previous game against New Jersey), got a break on this power play. Following a Lightning d-zone faceoff win, the puck bounced off Ryan McDonagh's skate and caromed to Sean Couturier in front of the net. He swept it in, cutting the Lightning lead to 5-3.
Even though the Flyers would eventually tie the game, the Lightning actually managed the next several minutes quite well. They handled the puck without any issues and enjoyed some offensive zone time. But the final chapter of the period would begin with just over four minutes left. That's when the Lightning turned the puck over in the neutral zone and the Flyers scored off the rush. Thirty seconds later, they tied it, helped by a dump-in attempt that hit off the linesman and deflected right to Robert Hagg, whose shot led to Wayne Simmonds' rebound goal.
Riding a wave of momentum following their comeback, the Flyers were rolling in the final three and a half minutes of regulation. Dale Weise had a breakaway and the Flyers had a few other dangerous rushes. But the Lightning got the game to OT.
Both clubs had some good looks in the early stages of OT. About 90 seconds in, the Flyers had a chance to break out of their own zone with the puck. Giroux and Jake Voracek had already had a fairly long shift, but they stayed out on the ice, looking to win the game off the rush. Voracek ended up alone in front of Domingue, but he redirected a shot just wide of the net. With those two Flyers forwards caught deep in the offensive zone, the Lightning were then able to counter. Hedman sprung Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn on a two-on-one. Cirelli's initial shot was deflected weakly on net, but after the Pickard save, he grabbed the puck behind the net. He worked his way back in front, outmuscled Simmonds to maintain control and roofed the winning shot into the top of the net.
Clearly, this wasn't a textbook win for the Lightning. They had a rough first period and squandered a four-goal third period lead in just over a six-minute span. Their penalty kill had yielded only eight total goals prior to the last two games, but has given up five more since then. On the other hand, there were many positive components that led to their win: outstanding goaltending early in the game (and in the closing minutes after the Flyers had tied it), a dominant power play that produced three goals, depth scoring (Erne had a career-best three points and players from all four lines contributed points) and crisp passing plays and finishes on all six of their goals.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game:
1. Anthony Cirelli - Lightning Game-winning goal.
2. Brayden Point - Lightning. Two goals.
3. Travis Konecny - Flyers - Two goals.