With only 11 forwards dressed for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Friday’s game against the Nashville Predators, the visitors faced added adversity in the wake of mid-game injuries.
Anthony Cirelli took a first-period shot to the face that drew blood and required stitches, and leading scorer Nikita Kucherov missed the entire second period due to an apparent injury which stemmed from an incident in the first period.
Injuries wouldn’t keep the Lightning or the inflicted players from success on Friday—Cirelli returned to tie the game 1-1 just over 4 minutes into the second period, and Kucherov set up the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory.
Tampa Bay improved to 12-8-2 with the win, one that secured the season sweep over Nashville.
“We lost Tony for a while, he came back. We lost Kuch (Kucherov) for the entire second period and then he came back, and so guys were put in spots they haven’t been used to and guys are playing more ice time than they’re used to, but I think the guys dug their heels in and knew the circumstances,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “And that third period we were just playing TV timeout to TV timeout and putting us in a situation we weren’t gonna give this game away, and we didn't.”
Nashville captain Roman Josi put the home team ahead less than 90 seconds after the opening puck drop.
Josi ripped a shot from the right point, one that slipped through a net-front screen and found its way into the left side of the net for a 1-0 lead on the game’s first shot on goal. It stood as the only goal of the first period.
Cirelli took the puck up high shortly after Josi’s goal but returned later in the first period with a full-face shield and stitches. The injury wouldn't keep Cirelli off the scoreboard, as the center took it upon himself to tie the game.
He did so on a shorthanded 2-on-0 with Luke Glendening, batting the puck out of the air and into the net 4:06 into the second period.
Brandon Hagel gave Tampa Bay its first lead of the night at the 8:18 mark of the second. Hagel’s shot from the top of the offensive zone deflected past Nashville goalie Juuse Saros off a Predators defender. A secondary assist for captain Victor Hedman tied him with Martin St. Louis for the most career assists (588) in franchise history.
Hagel gave Cirelli and Kucherov credit for returning from injuries and making big plays after.
“They’ve been doing it all year, so good on them to battle whatever they were going through and get back into the game,” Hagel said. “And to be able to contribute, those are gamers right there.”
Josi tied the game three minutes after Hagel’s goal with a rip into the left side of the Tampa Bay net from atop the faceoff circles.
Brayden Point secured the win with his team-leading 16th goal of the season 1:01 into overtime, as the Lightning took advantage of a 4-on-3 power play following a penalty on Nashville’s Filip Forsberg.
Nikita Kucherov found the puck behind the goal line and dished it to a waiting Brayden Point on the left side of the net. Point deked to his backhand and slid it past Saros for the game-winning goal.
“We’re on the power play so you know you’re kind of alone there once the faceoff comes like that, so I think it’s just kind of recognizing the situation,” Point said. “I just kind of knew I had some time and pulled it to the backhand, just found some space.”
Goalie Jonas Johansson got his second win of the season in his fourth start, stopping 28 shots. His .933 save percentage on Friday stands as his best in his four starts.
Cooper mentioned a first period breakaway that Johansson stopped, applauding how Johansson responded to the early goal against.
“The breakaway at the end of the first, he had a huge save in the third,” Cooper said, “and that’s what you ask your goaltender to do—give you a chance to win, and JJ did that tonight.”
The Lightning now prepare for the second half of their back-to-back as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit AMALIE Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Maple Leafs sit two points ahead of the Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings with a 13-7-2 record. Toronto won the first meeting between the teams on Oct. 21 by a 5-2 score.
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
- Brayden Point, TBL (OT GWG)
- Roman Josi, NSH (2 Goals)
- Jonas Johansson, TBL (28 saves)
