Was that the Tampa Bay Lightning’s cleanest win of the year? No, but it was still a triumph. The Columbus Blue Jackets mounted a third-period comeback, but Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 32 saves and three points from Brandon Hagel helped the Lightning escape with a 4-2 victory. Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli both tallied two points, while Nikita Kucherov, who currently leads the league in points scored, added two assists to his total.
Although the Lightning didn’t play as well as they had against the Rangers and Islanders, they were still far superior. Vasilevskiy was there to make the save, blocking all nine shots in the first frame when they did falter.
Although Tampa Bay did produce eleven scoring opportunities at 5v5 in the first period, they scored first on the power play. After Kent Johnson struck Nick Paul in the face, the referees ruled that it was a double minor. In the first two minutes, the first unit didn’t really generate anything, but by the conclusion of the first minor, the second unit was able to make a small impression. Brandon Hagel patiently worked the puck, eventually shooting it into the net.
If you’ve ever listened to Phil Esposito, you are aware of his long-held conviction that the Lightning forwards restrict themselves from getting decent looks at rebounds by setting up too close to the goaltender. Being positioned in the slot surrounding the hash marks rather than on the edge of the crease sort of confirmed that argument. As a result, he had space to grab the rebound and put it past Elvis Merzlikins for his 14th goal of the year.
READ ON:
Steven Stamkos power play.
During the third period of the Columbus Blue Jackets game on Saturday, Steven Stamkos positioned himself in his office and bided his time until Victor Hedman passed him the puck. Stammer didn’t miss when the Big Swede put it right in his wheelhouse:
“The goalie’s’ stunned expression as he looked behind him after the puck entered the net was the greatest part. The puck struck Merzlikins in the chest, traveled between his side and arm, and eventually trickled across the goal line, giving the impression that he had made the save.
It was Stamkos’ 16th-best power play goal ever scored by the Lightning and his 207th overall. He now sits four goals behind Gordie Howe in fifteenth place. He ranks third among players who have only ever represented one team. First place goes to Alex Ovechkin with 304, followed by Mario Lemieux with 236 and Stamkos. That company is quite prestigious.
In addition, it was his 83rd game-winning goal overall, tying him for 32nd all-time with Evgeni Malkin, Maurice Richard, and Jean Beliveau. He will tie Stan Mikita if he receives one more. Once more, honorable company for The Captain.
It was Stamkos’ 12th power play goal of the year and his 22nd overall. With less than 30 games left, he has a chance to tie his career high of 24 points achieved in 2009-10 while using the man advantage.
Though it’s unlikely that he would surpass Ovechkin, imagine how high on the charts he could end up. This summer, he could very well approach former colleague Dave Andreychuk’s 274 if he gets a six-year contract. Over the past five seasons, Stamkos has averaged roughly 12 power-play goals annually, and if Hedman and Nikita Kucherov are at his side the entire time, there’s no reason to think he can’t maintain that pace.
The fact that no active player is that close to him or likely to pass him very soon is another factor working in his favor. Evgeni Malkin, who has 176 points and has just once reached double digits in PPG over the past six years, is the guy who is closest to Stamkos among active players. It’s unlikely that Stamkos’s circle shot will lose its effectiveness very soon. He has made 28 shots this season that have been between 90 and 100 mph, which is on track with the 54 he made the previous year, according to NHL Edge analytics.
He should sign with the Lightning based solely on the fact that few other teams can provide him with the same talent surrounding him on the power play.
