Lightning finally wake up, rally to beat Montreal

by Gary Shelton on December 29, 2019

in general

Lightning's Killorn after his second goal of the night./CHUCK MULLER

Sunday, 4 a.m.

Things that are slow: Tortoises. Snails. Glaciers. Sloths.

Oh, and on Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning barely seemed aware that their game against the Montreal Canadiens had begun Saturday night. Montreal got off the first 18 shots of the game, and the first two goals against the sluggish Lightning.

Still, the Lightning did eventually show up to work, coming from behind to win a 5-4 game. They were outshot 43-30, but they scored four straight goals to take the lead.


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LStamkos celebrates his 800th career point with Hedman./CHUCK MULLER

Tampa Bay is now 19-13-4 on the season.

Alex Killorn scored two goals for the Lightning. Steven Stamkos scored one, and Anthony Cirelli and Mitchell Stephens. It was Stephens' first goal. Stamkos now has 14 and Killorn has 12.

Victor Hedman had assists on four of the five goals.

Killorn's first goal, which brought the Lightning to within 2-1 at the first intermission, was a huge one.

Vasilevskiy clears the puck for Bolts./CHUCK MULLER

“That was the big goal for us," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "It couldn’t get much worse than that first 12-14 minutes. For is to get to within 2-1 was big. We knew we had lot better in us.

"We dipped our toes in this game; Montreal dove in head first."

 The Bolts defensive lapses bothered Cooper.

"It wasn't like it was a Grade A chance every time," Cooper said. "The problem I had were the odd-man rushes we were giving up. It was inexcusable the way we were giving them up."

The Lightning is home tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. The puck is schedule to drop at 7 p.m.

Cirelli nearly scores on a divomg attendance,/CHUCK MULLER

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