Sunday, 4 a.m.
What if they never lose again? What if the Tampa Bay Lightning streaks stretches and grows to the point the rest of the league is just playing chase?
Oh, it'll end sometime, of course. Maybe tonight in New Jersey, even.
But the way the Bolts are playing, would you wager on it?
The Lightning won their 10th straight game Saturday night, tying a franchise record as they shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. The Flyers entered the game with the league's best record on home ice.
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That wasn't good enough, however, as Andrei Vasilevskiy had his second straight shutout (his first two of the season). Vasilevskiy now has 20 shutouts in his career. He has won 22 games this season.
Vasilevskiy has now gone 2:2.-53of ice time without giving up a goal.
Pat Maroon recorded his first goal in 23 games for the game's only score. He was injured sliding into the boards in the third period.
“Usually, there is like a four-goal lead blown," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, alluding to the wild games the teams have played. "There have been some exciting games all over the mat against these guys. But that was a checking game. We checked tonight. They are a very talented team. There's a reason they are where they are in the standings."
Vasilevskiy had 23 saves, but 10 of them came in the final period.
"They made a push in the third," Cooper said. "Our goaltender made some big time saves for us. In this game, it's not how many you get in, it's what you keep out. We kept them out tonight."
The Bolts play at 7 p.m. tonight against the Devils.