Vasilevskiy watches another goal scored in replay./CARMEN MANDATO
Wednesday, 4 a.m.
Vasilevskiy doesn't like being scored on./CARMEN MANDATO
Ah, that's why there is a lingering sense of impending disappointment with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
For all the goals, for all of the saves, for all of the victories, a night like Tuesday night remains a possibility.
The Lightning was clobbered by a pedestrian Ottawa Senators team Tuesday night, losing 7-4 despite J.T. Miller's first career hat trick. The Senators came in with half the victories of the Lightning, with a backup goalie on a losing streak and playing on their second straight night.
And yet, the Senators won easily.
Miller scored three times for Bolts, who lost by three./CARMEN MANDATO
Content beyond this point is for members only.
Already a member? To view the rest of this column, sign in using the handy "Sign In" button located in the upper right corner of the GarySheltonSports.com blog (it's at the far right of the navigation bar under Gary's photo)!
Not a member? It's easy to subscribe so you can view the rest of this column and all other premium content on GarySheltonSports.com.
Cirelli tries to find open ice against Ottawa./CARMEN MANDATO
"This isn't a night to take personal success out of a game like that," Miller said. "As a team, we have things we have to work on."
Remember all those odd-man rushes of the past few weeks? This time, it seemed as if a goal was on the far end of every one off them. Both Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov had three assists, but neither scored a goal.
McDonagh scored a goal for the Lightning./CARMEN MANDATO
“Turnovers, bad tracks, inability to block shots, inability to kill a penalty, add them all up," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. "It was probably a little bit of bad bounces I guess, maybe that drops it by one or two. You still score four and lose by three; that’s a tough night at home.”
Miller, obtained from the Rangers at the trading deadline, now has five goals and nine points in seven games. He scored a goal in the first and two more in the second for his first career hat trick.
Hedman and the defense have given up far too many goals./CARMEN MANDATO
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, a 40-game winner. allowed six goals on 39 shots.
Over their last 10 games, the Bolts have given up 37 goals.
“It’s a concern," Cooper said. "No question.”
Said Miller: “They worked to create their bounces. We had some plays that were just too lax, and it cost us in the end. Obviously, it’s really hard to come back in this league.”
The Nashville Predators tied the Lightning with 100 points Tuesday night.
Kunitz says the Lightning has work to do./CARMEN MANDATO
“Any time you give up seven goals, you’ve got to look from within," said Chris Kunitz. "You’ve got to dip deeper and commit to being a better, sound team. We gave up all seven, but it’s not necessarily all in the defensive zone. It’s executing on the way up, turning pucks over and not committing to playing with it even behind putting it in and things like that. We have to be committed to playing a better team game. We can’t just have our goalies bail us out like they were earlier in the year, and we’re paying for it now.”
Said Anton Stralman: “It’s disappointing, obviously. Playing a team coming off the back-to-back and letting up seven goals, it’s unacceptable at the end. It’s hard to win games letting in that amount of goals. You just can’t do it.”
The Lightning tries to get back to form Saturday against the Boston Bruins. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
Stamkos had three assists for the Bolts./CARMEN MANDATO
{ 0 comments… read it below or Subscriptions }