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Lightning drop first game of the homestand to the Wild, 4-2

Oct 24, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes a save against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Lightning did something no other team has done this year – take a lead against the Minnesota Wild. It wasn’t enough as the Wild scored the final three goals of the game to win 4-2 and remain without a regulation loss to start the season. Kirill Kaprizov scored the first goal and the last goal for the visitors while Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov had the goals for the Lightning.

For the better part of two period the Lightning were able to make it through the Wild’s staunch defense (they have yet to concede more than two goals in a game this season), but couldn’t sustain much offense once they were in the zone. When they did, Marc-Andre Fleury was there as he made 22 saves on 24 shots.

After Nikita Kucherov scored his eighth goal of the season just over the midway mark of the second period, it looked like the Lightning would take the lead into the third period. In the final minute of the frame, Joel Eriksson-Ek was left alone in front of the net and he beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, who ended up with 14 saves on 17 shots, to tie the game. A power play goal from Matt Boldy early in the third proved to be the difference. Once they had the lead, they throttled the pace of play, frustrating the Bolts in the neutral zone and limiting the home team to just 5 shots in the third period.

First Period:

17:51 A really nice chance for Nick Paul after Mitchell Chaffee put some pressure on during a forecheck. Paul had a clean look at the net from the right circle, but Fleury stood tall and made the stop. Nice hustle by Chaffee to get into the zone and create the turnover.

14:06 – It hasn’t been the most exciting start for either team so far. There have been a lot of stick-checks, broken passes in the neutral zone, and possession at the edges.

13:37 – Just like that, it’s 1-0 Wild. The Lightning protect the middle, but Marco Rossi hits Kirill Kaprizov on a cross-seam pass. Dolla’ Dolla’ Kirill shoots it from a bad angle, but Vasy isn’t able to get over in time to stop it. The Lightning challenge for offside.

13:37 – The challenge fails, the goal counts, and the Lightning will play the next two minutes with one less skater than the Wild. Kirill Kaprizov (Marco Rossi, Jonas Brodin) 1-0 Wild

11:36 – The Lightning kill off a penalty! Anthony Cirelli calls his own number on a short-handed two-on-one, but Fleury gloves it aside with that trademark windmill sweep of his arm. We’re going to miss that extra flourish after he retires.

6:41 Brandon Hagel comes close to finding the inside of the far post, but Fleury’s pad cuts it off. The Lightning are finding some chances, but can’t beat the future hall of famer. The Bolts are getting the puck out of their own zone quickly and cleanly and aren’t bottled up in their own zone. Part of it is that the Wild aren’t forechecking aggressively. They are sitting in the neutral zone, and forcing the Bolts to work their way through a sea of bodies.

1:43 – Those seas part at the right circle for Victor Hedman, and the Big Swede winds up to rip a slapshot that whistles wide of the far post. Fleury was well out to block it, but there was a sliver a space.

0:00 – One last stop for Fleury at the buzzer compliments of another shot from Hedman. Again, a really solid period for the Lightning, but the Wild are showing why they are unbeaten. They keep to their structure and try to score off of counter-rushes. Patience will be the key tonight.

Second Period:

20:00 – Brian Engblom drops the “New Jersey Devils trap from the 1990s” comparison on the Wild’s approach on defense. It’s fair, but the Wild do have a little more offensive skill at forward. They are really quick on the counter attacks, but the Lightning have been staying within their structure.

16:36 – The gentle ping of the puck off of the crossbar is not music to Conor Geekie’s ears. The rookie fires a one-timer off the rush that beats Fleury, but not the post. It was a nice rush play by the Lightning to set up the opportunity.

14:14 – Nick Perbix steps up at the Minnesota blueline and gets torqued down to the ice by Marcus Foligno. The call is holding, which is interesting, and the result is a Lightning power play.

12:41 – The Lightning take about 80 seconds to finally get set up in the zone, have one opportunity and then lose the power play as Hedman has to grab Jakub Lauko who had the inside track.

11:05 – If you can’t score on the power play, why not score shorthanded. Anthony Cirelli dekes, kicks, stutters his way into the slot before sliding it to an open Brandon Hagel who puts it under Fleury’s pads. Brandon Hagel (Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak) Short-handed, 1-1

8:29 – Kucherov takes an inadvertent shot to the jaw from Brodin, so what does he do? Score a goal of course. Paul has the puck in the in the slot and slides it over to Kucherov who beats Fleury to put the Lightning ahead, 2-1. Nikita Kucherov (Nick Paul, Nick Perbix) 2-1 Lightning

7:00 – Cernak skates to the penalty box and the Wild look to equalize on the power play. Matt Boldy shimmies between Cirelli and Hedman, but his shot from the slot hits the crossbar and pings its way into the netting.

2:24 – Fleury gloves a floating shot from Zemgus to bring a nice sequence from the Lightning. The Wild are scrambling in the zone with the Lightning pushing the play after killing the penalty.

1:38 – One of the few times the Wild have an extended shift in the zone. McDonagh goes out to challenge Zach Bogosian who skates down low. That leaves Joel Eriksson Ek all alone and he taps home the centering feed. A bit of a letdown after a strong second period from the Lightning. Joel Eriksson Ek (Zach Bogosian, Matt Boldy) 2-2

Third Period:

19:27 – The Lightning are playing with fire as Nick Paul goes off the ice for high-sticking. It’s the fourth power play for the Wild, who had been converting at 33% coming into the night. And just like that Matt Boldy scores. It’s pretty much a carbon copy of the Kaprizov, as Mats Zuccarello sets him up with an absolute screamer of a pass across the ice. Matt Boldy (Mats Zucarello, Kirill Kaprizov) Power Play, 3-2 Wild

13:44 – The Wild are dragging the pace of the game down to a horse-and-buggy level while the Lightning are trying to pick things up. Unfortunately, they’re a little sloppy right now and Minnesota is bottling them up in the neutral zone.

11:31 – A little top-six line line shuffle as Geekie jumps up with Point and Guentzel while Kucherov skates with Hagel and Cirelli.

5:34 – The Wild are just bleeding the clock right now and Tampa Bay is starting to fray at the edges a bit. Hedman and Chaffee with back-to-back bad passes in the offensive zone and Minnesota is content to take the puck and skate it out of danger.

5:23 – Geekie drives the net and Moser follows it up, but his shot is booted into the protective netting. Their best chances of the third period.

0:33.2 – Kaprizov skates to the loose puck at center ice and slides it into the empty net. The Lightning pulled Vasy with two minutes left, but couldn’t get anything going with the extra attacker. Kirill Kaprizov (unassisted) Empty Net, 4-2 Wild

The Charts:

Lines during warm-ups:

Morning Skate Info:

The Lines:

Conor Geekie gets another shot at the second line after they had an extremely productive game against the Devils. With Conor Sheary in Syracuse, Cam Atkinson is the de facto fourth winger unless the Bolts make a recall at some point (which they will).

Darren Raddysh is on the bench for the second game in a row. We’ll have to keep an eye on the defense to see if Coach Cooper is still going to rotate them out, or if he’s locked in on a specific line-up.

Gabby also reports that Nikita Kucherov was still on the left side for the power play portion of the morning skate. Victor Hedman, Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel joined him on the top unit for practice.

Potential Minnesota Wild Lines:

Forwards:

Kirill Kaprizov – Marco Rossi – Mats Zuccarello

Marcus Johansson – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy

Marcus Foligno – Frederick Gaudreay – Yakov Trenin

Jakub Lauko – Marat Khusnutdinov – Liam Ohgren

Defense:

Jacob Middleton – Brock Faber

Jonas Brodin – Zach Bogosian

Jon Merrill – Declan Chisholm

Goaltender:

Marc-Andre Fleury

According to Michael Russo, who shares the Wild beat at The Athletic, Marc-Andre Fleury is getting the start tonight. Ryan Hartman and Jared Spurgeon are likely out of the line-up as well.

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