In a game between the NHL’s two top scorers, it was Nikita Kucherov emerging on top as he outdueled Connor McDavid in the Lightning’s 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Kucherov scored twice, including his first career short-handed goal, and added two assists while McDavid had Edmonton’s first goal of the game. With the four points, Kucherov moved ahead of McDavid in the scoring race.
Anthony Cirelli, who missed most of the second half of the game following a second-period fight with Vasily Podkolzin, had two goals, including an empty-netter to raise his season total to 19. Brandon Hagel had two assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25-of-27 shots to pick up his 33rd win of the season.
The Lightning dominated long stretches of the game, but it was Edmonton scoring first. Very late in the first period, they won an offensive zone face-off and McDavid tipped home a shot from Evan Bouchard. It didn’t take long for the Lightning to tie it in the second period. Just 1:37 into the period, Anthony Cirelli planted himself in front of the net and slid home the game-tying goal off of a rebound.
Things would get a little squirrelly in the second period. It started with Pontus Holmberg trying to fight McDavid. Holmberg would have to answer for that as Connor Murphy challenged him to a fight. Thirty seconds after that, Darnell Nurse hit Brandon Hagel up high, touching off another fight. Cirelli jumped in to defend his best friend, as he took on Podkolzin.
Along with the fighting penalties for Cirelli and Podkolzin, Nurse was sent to the box for an illegal hit to the head, and the Lightning converted as Jake Guentzel finished off a nice passing play by walking out in front of the net and beat Connor Ingram up high to give the Bolts the lead.
The turning point of the game came a few minutes later as Edmonton had a 5-on-3 for over one minute. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned several shots aside to keep it a 2-1 game. Kucherov had been in the box for the first penalty, and as he left the box, McDavid was separated from the puck by a hit from Emil Lilleberg. J.J. Moser picked up the loose puck and helicoptered it down the ice to Kucherov, who was behind the defense. He beat Ingram one-on-one to give the Bolts a 3-1 lead.
Some consider a two-goal lead the most dangerous lead in hockey, but it is always better than a one-goal lead. Why? Because all it takes is one weird bounce for the game to change. The Bolts were doing what they usually do in the third period. They were protecting the lead, making Edmonton work hard the length of the ice, and generating just enough offense to keep them honest.
There was a scrum along the boards in the Lightning zone, and the Bolts actually won the battle, but when they chipped the puck out of danger, it hopped over Lilleberg’s stick, off of Vasilevskiy’s stick, and through a small hole in the goaltender’s stance. With that unlucky bounce the Oilers were right back in the game. Josh Samanski was credited with goal. What a way to get a first career goal.
The Oilers pushed, but the Lightning didn’t break. With Cirelli in the locker room, Brayden Point joined Hagel and Kucherov on a line, and it was his forecheck that started the scoring sequence. He won the puck behind the net, got it to Hagel, who fed it out to Kucherov in front of the net. The quick snap shot beat Ingram, and the Lightning had their two-goal lead back. Cirelli would return for the final few shifts, and with Ingram on the bench, Tony Two Goals was able to slide down the ice and into the vacated net.
The Lightning picked up another two points on a night where everyone else in the standings around them won. They may not have gained any ground on the Buffalo Sabres, but they shaved another day off the season without anyone gaining ground on them.
It’s a short turnaround for them as they are right back on the ice on Sunday to close out the road trip against Calgary. It’s been a good trip for them so far, but as Coach Cooper likes to say, they need to get greedy and go for a sweep.
