Lightning rally past Blue Jackets, end three-game skid

TAMPA -- Ross Colton and Brayden Point scored 66 seconds apart in the third period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied for a 3-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amalie Arena on Thursday.

Colton tied it 2-2 at 14:48 with a wrist shot from the left circle before Point made it 3-2 at 15:54 when his centering pass redirected off Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard's stick.
"I felt like I had some jump tonight and I thought our team had a lot of jump," Point said. "And when we're skating, that's when we're creating chances. I thought we had a lot of zone time and made some nice plays in zone. [Colton] has been playing great. Another big goal for him and a big goal for us."

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves for the Lightning (25-9-2), who ended a three-game losing streak.
"It was a tough game. That's a really good team and they are a really tough team to play against," Colton said. "It's an up-and-down game. We stuck with the game plan and good things happened."
Eric Robinson and Zach Werenski each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (14-16-8), who have lost five of their past six games. Elvis Merzlikins made 31 saves.
"We played such a good game, and it stings for sure when you can't get the two points," Columbus forward Max Domi said. "That is the best team in the game for sure and they capitalized on the opportunities they had. Give them credit. But at the same time, everyone in that locker room knows that if we bury of couple of those chances we are on the winning side."
Point gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 15:45 of the first period from below the left circle during a 5-on-3 power play.
"[Point] had the puck a lot tonight, and when he has the puck a lot of good things usually happen," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Werenski tied it 1-1 at 9:04 of the second period, controlling a loose puck in the crease off a shot from Robinson and scoring into an open net on his backhand.
"I think we could've scored more than two tonight," Werenski said. "We had some chances and it would be nice to bear down and get a bigger lead. That's a good goalie over there and he made some big saves. But yeah, it would be nice to score some more goals. It is what it is."

Robinson put Columbus ahead 2-1 at 10:54 of the third period when he got around defenseman Cal Foote and shot under the right arm of Vasilevskiy.
"I thought 99 percent of this hockey club played their [butts] off tonight," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "We got a little unlucky. I think we needed another save. Unlucky on the third one. I'm frustrated for the guys because I think they've really concentrated on how we're trying to play right now. To get belief you need results, and just to get nothing tonight … it's a tough one to eat."
NOTES:Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh had one shot, one hit and one block in 25:25 of the ice time in his return after missing four games with a lower-body injury. … Domi moved from wing to center and had two assists in 14:32 of ice time. Although he was 0-for-7 on face-offs, Tortorella said he will continue to play him there. … Vasilevskiy is 12-0-0 at home this season.