It isn’t over until it is over, but things are certainly getting quite bleak for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts faced a do or die game in Boston on Tuesday night and couldn’t get the job done. The game was scoreless after the 1st, but Tampa Bay didn’t score on a 5 minute power play to start the 2nd. The Boston Bruins scored twice in the 2nd after that and ultimately put away the Bolts, 4-0.
Goaltenders and defense was the story through a lot of the 1st period. Just past the halfway mark of the period, Boston had the 1st really stellar chance of the game, but Luke Witkowski got in front of the puck for a blocked shot and Vasilevskiy did the rest to keep it scoreless. Victor Hedman had to head to the locker room for a bit after taking a puck to the face, but the defenseman returned to the bench rather quickly. Brad Marchand picked up a 5 minute major penalty for spearing with less than a minute left in the 1st. The Bolts couldn’t score in that minute, but would start the 2nd with more than 4 minutes left in that power play.
The Lightning couldn’t score in the remainder of that power play as Boston picked up the huge kill to keep it scoreless. That kill would prove to be huge for Boston as they opened up the scoring just minutes later. Drew Stafford’s 7th goal of the season gave the Bruins the lead. The Lightning turned up their offensive pressure after that goal, but Boston would double their lead before Tampa Bay could score. David Pastrnak’s 33rd goal of the season made it a 2-0 game with less than 4 minutes remaining in the period.
The Lightning knew they needed a huge offensive performance to start the 3rd and they played like it. The Bolts even looked to have scored off of Nikita Kucherov’s stick, but the puck went off the crossbar and post and then out to keep the lead at 2. The momentum changed when Yanni Gourde got called for high sticking to put the Bolts on the penalty kill for the 1st time in the game. Boston’s power play came through when Zdeno Chara scored to make it 3-0. Pastrnak added an empty netter to make it a 4-0 game and really put the Lightning away.
The Lightning will continue their final week of the season on Thursday night when they head north of the border. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be the 1st opponent of an all Canadian back to back. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes prior on News Radio 970 WFLA.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
None
2ND PERIOD
1. Boston - Stafford - (Krejci, McQuaid) - 5:56
2. Boston - Pastrnak - (Nash, Miller) - 16:06
3RD PERIOD
1. Boston - PPG - Chara - (Krug, Backes) - 9:17
2. Boston - Pastrnak - (Krejci) - 18:58
PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. Boston - Marchand - (Spearing) - 19:23
2ND PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Witkowski - (Roughing) - 14:58
2. Boston - McQuaid - (Roughing) 14:58
3RD PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Gourde - (High Sticking) - 7:27
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tampa Bay - 28
Boston - 38