The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a one-goal in the third period to pick up a point, but lost their third game in a row as the Philadelphia Flyers beat them in a shootout, 4-3. Bobby Brink had three points for the Flyers while the Lightning had goals from Gage Goncalves, Zemgus Girgensons, and Zemgus Girgensons. Jonas Johansson stopped 26 of 29 shots. Samuel Ersson picked up the victory with 17 saves on 20 shots.
Nikita Kucherov was scratched due to an illness with Cameron Atkinson returning to the line-up. Darren Raddysh was a healthy scratch as Coach Jon Cooper returned to a 12-6 roster for the game.
It’s been a hot minute since the Lightning had a lead in a game (scoring just once in two games will do that), and despite the Flyers getting the first few shots on net, the Bolts drew first blood. With Nikita Kucherov and Darren Raddysh on the sidelines, the power play units were juggled a little. Gage Goncalves and Ryan McDonagh found themselves on the second unit and made the most of it. McDonagh found Yanni Gourde along the boards and Gourde’s quick shot-pass was right where Goncalves needed it to be to tip it home.
The Flyers built an early lead on the shot counter, but the Bolts were making sure they were coming from less dangerous areas. In fact, most of the period was spent with the teams trying shots from the perimeter as neither team established themselves in front of the net.
Philadelphia equalized the score with just over five-and-a-half minutes to go as Ryan Poehling won a board battle in his own zone. A pass from Olle Lycksell sent Bobby Brink into the zone and he snapped a shot off the rush past Johansson to tie the game at one.
The second period mirrored the first as the Lightning scored early and the Flyers tied it up on the rush. When we say early, we mean early as the second line put Tampa Bay back on top just 15 seconds in. Zemgus Girgensons created some puck separation with a nice hit on the forecheck and then wheeled around to the front of the net where he was in place to sweep in a rebound off of a shot from Erik Cernak. Pretty much a textbook reason why the Lightning signed him in the off-season.
After that the teams traded a couple of power plays that produced some chances, but no goals. Johansson had a nice blocker save at the tail-end of the Flyers advantage and then stopped Poehling on a breakaway shortly after. The Bolts had some good looks on the power play, but couldn’t score and it would burn them as Bobby Brink came out of the box to receive a pass from Sean Couturier on the fly. Cameron Atkinson stumbled trying to stay with him, and that gave Brink the space to cut in front of the net and backhand it under the bar.
Poehling ran out of room on his breakaway, but he got his revenge late in the period as the Lightning were caught on the wrong side of the ice as Olle Lycksell’s pass found Poehling all alone in front of the net. He was able to draw Johansson out of the crease and tucked the puck around him and inside the post.
The Flyers came out looking to extend their lead and had a glorious opportunity when Couturier walked around Ryan McDonagh straight down the middle of the ice, but his shot whistled by the wrong side of the iron and the score stayed 3-2. With a touch more urgency to their game, the Lightning started generating some chances and found the equalizer just under four minutes into the period. They retrieved the puck off of a Brayden Point missed shot. Some quick puck movement by J.J. Moser and Victor Hedman set Cameron Atkinson up in the slot, and he torqued a wrister past Ersson for his fourth goal of the season.
Johansson made his best save on a Flyers power play as he blockered away a shot from the slot. It was the type of save that helps a team pick up a point, which the Lightning did by battling their way to overtime. The overtime period was nothing if not quick as there were no whistles. There were also no goals, although the Lightning had plenty of puck control. Their best chance came with Point flying down the ice and splitting the defense, but his shot went wide.
Travis Konecny started the special skills session by hitting the post and the crossbar on his shot.
Jake Guentzel’s shot was stopped.
Matvei Michkov beat Johansson while Point did the same to Ersson.
Bobby Brink went wide with his stick-handling attempt.
Hedman, with a chance to win it, went wide with his attempt.
Couturier was stoned by JoJo’s right pad.
Ersson kept the pads together to deny Brandon Hagel.
Owen Tippett jammed a forehand home and Ersson was able to get a left pad on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s attempt to end the game.
The Goals
Gage Goncalves (Yanni Gourde, Ryan McDonagh) Power Play, 1-0 Lightning
Bobby Brink (Olle Lycksell, Ryan Poehling) 1-1
Zemgus Girgensons (Erik Cernak, Brandon Hagel) 2-1 Lightning
Bobby Brink (Sean Couturier) 2-2
Ryan Poehling (Olle Lycksell, Bobby Brink) 3-2 Flyers
Cameron Atkinson (Victor Hedman, J.J. Moser) 3-3
