The Tampa Bay Lightning ended an emotional Monday with a walk-off goal by forward Nick Paul as the Bolts defeated the Nashville Predators 3-2 in overtime on the night longtime captain Steven Stamkos returned to AMALIE Arena.
Tampa Bay is now 6-3-0 this season after earning four of six standings points in a three-game homestand.
Mere minutes after a video tribute to Stamkos and a lap around the rink from the franchise leader in games played, goals and points, the Lightning got to work with the game’s first goal.
Jake Guentzel got in on the forecheck on the right wall, and the puck found Brayden Point, who toe-dragged through a Nashville defender, getting across the net before scoring his sixth goal of the season on a backhand shot through Nashville goalie Juuse Saros.
The goal came 9 minutes, 49 seconds into the game.
“I thought it was a great tribute (to Stamkos),” Paul said. “But at the end of the day, we had to put that behind us and get the two points. We’ve got to keep on rolling and keep on building. So we did what we needed to do.”
Mitchell Chaffee extended the Lightning lead to 2-0 in the final minute of the first period with his third goal of the season. The 26-year-old forward sped through a trio of Nashville defenders at the blueline, deked to his forehand and whistled a shot over Saros.
The Predators entered the scoring midway through the second period with a power-play goal by Ryan O’Reilly in front of the Lightning net, and Gustav Nyquist tied the game 2-2 when a Lightning line change gave him an open rush toward Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The visitors outshot Tampa Bay 14-4 in the second period.
"It just seemed like we weren't managing the puck as well in the second,” Point said. “They capitalized on some turnovers and kind of a tough line change there. But I think in the first and third, we were playing simple and using our legs, and that's kind of the strength of our team.”
The Lightning got back to their game in the third period, forcing Saros to make numerous saves on odd man rushes and looks in tight to the net. Neither team scored in the third period, bringing the first overtime period of the season for Tampa Bay.
The Predators possessed the puck for the first two and a half minutes of overtime, but a change for the Lightning put a refreshed Guentzel and Paul on the ice. Paul tapped home a backdoor pass for the game-winning goal 3:22 into overtime.
"You just gotta stay calm,” Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman said of the overtime period. “Think we did a pretty good job of keeping them to the outside, even though we got stuck in our own end. And, yeah, had some good stakes and didn't give them a whole lot. So yeah, we're happy with the way we played."
Guentzel’s assist on the overtime winner stood as the 500th of his NHL career, and the player on the receiving end of the helper said the pass was the reason he could score.
Paul said the third period was key to swing momentum back for the Lightning.
"Just get back to what we were doing the first period, moving our feet, staying out of the box and just hounding,” Paul said. “And we had a couple chances that weren't going and we just (said) on the bench, just stay positive and keep going. Don't change the way we're playing because when you get chances like that, one's bound to go in.”
Vasilevskiy finished with 35 saves for his second straight win. He is two wins away from 300 in his career.
The Lightning now travel to Colorado to face the Avalanche at 9 p.m. Wednesday, the opening game of a four-game road trip that includes stops in Minnesota, St. Louis and Philadelphia.
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
1. Brayden Point (one goal, one assist)
2. Nick Paul (overtime winner)
3. Jake Guentzel (two assists, 500th NHL point)
