Miller stops an open Stamkos in the Ducks' win./CHUCK MULLER
Wednesday, 4 a.m.
For the first time, the Tampa Bay Lightning missed their goaltender.
Unfortunately, it came on a night when the Lightning faced another hot goalie.
Tampa Bay saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Tuesday night in a 3-1 defeat against the slumping Anaheim Ducks, who were led by longtime Lightning killer Ryan Miller.
Miller, 38, stopped 34 of 35 against Tampa Bay, continuing a long career
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Killorn sprawls after his shot was stopped./CHUCK MULLER
against the Lightning. Miller is 23-10 in his career against the Bolts, the third winningest goalie they have faced.
“I thought the boys played pretty well," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "One thing is Anaheim is a big team, and they can skate. I think they nullified a few things early on us because of their size down low, but by the second period we were buzzing. Coming out of the second period just 1-1, I thought we deserved a little bit better fate. I thought Ryan Miller played outstanding for them. He was probably a difference in the game.”
Kucherov shoots, but he doesn't score./CHUCK MULLER
Tampa Bay tied the game in the second period on a shot by Brayden Point, who scored his 18th. Except for that, however, they could not solve Miller.
"We had some chances there to capitalize on the power play, had a couple good looks," Lightning defenseman Dan Girardi said. "The first two periods we did a really good job, had a lot of O-zone time and made some plays, had some good looks, but just couldn't get that second one by Miller."
Added Ryan Callahan: "Them scoring two goals was the biggest difference. They get a fluky bounce off the glass and then they score the next shift. We obviously can't find the equalizer there, at least one to get us back in it. Like I said, I thought the first two periods were pretty even. A game like that where it's hard to get chances and we're not putting it in the net, those two goals were pretty big."
Domingue had won four of his previous five./CHUCK MULLER
For the Lightning, Domingue entered the game with a 5-1 record since regular goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy's injury, and the singular loss was a 3-2 decision to Nashville and Pekka Rinne.
“The second goal was a really big break for them," Cooper said. "They get the power play and you don’t see it that often where the shot goes off the glass and comes right back in front of the net and they whack it home. That’s a big break for them. It was tough. Giving up the third one was a little tough because now you have to come back from two (down).”
The Bolts are now 17-7-1, but they fell behind a hot Buffalo Sabres opponent in the standings. The Sabres visit Amalie Arena for a game on Thursday night. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
Yanni Gourde tussles with Andy Welinsky./CHUCK MULLER
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