The atmosphere in NHL arenas on opening night is always electric. When the home team scores 1st in all 3 periods, the crowd erupts into a frenzy. The Lightning did just that on Friday night. The Bolts got on the board 1st in every period, including twice in the 1st minute. The Florida Panthers came back from 2 goals down to tie the game heading to the 3rd, but a great final frame would be the difference in the 5-3 victory.
That beautiful goal horn sounded for the 1st time in the season just over 6 minutes in. Ondrej Palat was assisted by Brayden Point and Victor Hedman to get it past Roberto Luongo to get Tampa Bay on the board for the 1st time this season. Even more than the goal, the story of the 1st period was the Lightning PK and Vasilevskiy. Vasy stood on his head with 10 saves and the PK successfully thwarted 2 Florida opportunities in the opening period.
The 2nd period got off to an amazingly quick start for the Bolts. Point backed up his 1st period assist by doubling the Tampa Bay lead just 25 seconds into the frame. Before the 1st minute of the period was up the Lightning found themselves on their first power play of the season. Florida’s PK had the same success that Tampa Bay did in the 1st by not allowing the Bolts to extend their lead. The shutout for Tampa Bay ended just over 12 minutes into the period. Connor Brickley snuck the puck past Vasilevskiy and into the back of the net to make it a 1-goal game once again. Tampa Bay had a chance to get the lead back to multiple goals just minutes later, but Florida improved to 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. The lead would then completely evaporate with less than 3 minutes left in the period. Mark Pysyk’s goal sent the teams into the 3rd period knotted at 2 goals a piece.
The Bolts took advantage of a late Florida penalty in the 2nd. Vlad Namestnikov scored the go-ahead goal on that power play less than a minute into the 3rd. Steven Stamkos got his 1st point of the season with an assist on that goal. The lead would go back to 2 with Nikita Kucherov’s 1st goal of the season less than 6 minutes into the period. Jonathan Huberdeau’s goal made it a 1-goal game with just over 5 minutes to go, but Kucherov’s goal would be the insurance that Vasilveskiy and the Bolts would need to secure the season opening victory.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be right back on the ice tomorrow night. The Bolts will head down to Fort Lauderdale to complete the back-to-back with the Panthers. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7 pm. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 up the dial on News Radio 970 WFLA.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. TBL - Palat - (Point, Hedman) - 6:33
2ND PERIOD
1. TBL - Point - (Unassisted) - 0:25
2. FLA - Brickley - (Petrovic) - 12:21
3. FLA - Pysyk - (Vrbata, Trocheck) - 17:47
3RD PERIOD
1. TBL - PPG - Namestnikov - (Stamkos, Killorn) - 0:59
2. TBL - Kucherov - (Unassisted) - 6:38
3. FLA - Huberdeau - (Dadonov, Yandle) 14:30
4. TBL - Palat - (Point) - 19:46
PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. TBL - Sustr - (Slashing) - 10:25
2. TBL - Kucherov - (Slashing) 14:35
2ND PERIOD
1. FLA - McGinn - (Slashing) - 0:47
2. TBL - Sergachev - (Hooking) - 5:03
3. FLA - Sceviour - (Slashing) - 13:33
4. FLA - Ekblad - (Slashing) -19:40
3RD PERIOD
1. TBL - Hedman - (Slashing) - 16:49
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tampa Bay - 25
Florida - 36