In a game that featured two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Defenseman Slater Koekkoek & beat the defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 at Amalie Arena. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 36 shots & Center Alex Killorn assisted on four goals to help the Lightning improve their record to 3-1 for the season.
Shots were three to three after the first six minutes. But with just under 14 minutes left in the first period, Koekkoek took a shot from the point, which made it through several Lightning & Penguin players & trickled behind Penguins goalie Antti Niemi. The goal was Koekkoek's first of his career with assists to Defenseman Anton Stralman & Left wing Chris Kunitz.
Halfway through the first period the shots were 10-7 in favor of the Lightning & with just under 10 minutes left in the period, both teams had chances with Center Steven Stamkos missing wide on a shot & Penguins Center Sidney Crosby having a scoring attempt miss his stick.
After those scoring chances, Lightning's Defenseman Dan Girardi took a tripping penalty in his own zone, the first penalty of the game. On that power play, Pittsburgh was able to apply pressure with Tampa Bay clearing the puck just one time on the power play. Then right at the end of the power play with the Penguins controlling the puck in the Lightning end, Center Jake Guentzel was able to re-direct a shot past Vasilevskiy to tie the game 1-1.
As the end of the first period was nearing Pittsburgh applied pressure & Vasilevskiy made several point-blank saves. And it even appeared that the Penguins were able to take a 2-1 lead but when Pittsburgh was able to get the puck past Vasilevskiy, the referee ruled the puck was intentionally kicked in by Right wing Patric Hornqvist. The call on the ice was verified by replay.
After the disallowed Penguins goal, the Lightning went back on the power play with under 90 seconds left in the first period, when Defenseman Kris Letang took a Delay Of Game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. And it took almost every second of the first period but Tampa Bay scored a power play goal when Defenseman Victor Hedman's shot crossed the goal line with just one second left in the period. Again replay verified the call on the ice & the Lightning took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
At the start of the second period, neither team had great scoring chances until Lightning Right wing Ryan Callahan was able to break out of the neutral zone with a semi-breakaway along the left boards. Niemi was able to stop Callahan's shot but Pittsburgh's Right wing Carter Rowney took a slashing penalty during the Callahan rush. And it wasn't into the power play when an old, familiar face picked up the Lightning's third goal of the night. Stamkos scored the power play goal after the Lightning moved the puck around quickly, to eventually set-up Stamkos for a one-time blast, his first goal of the season.
After Tampa Bay killed off a penalty, Pittsburgh was able to make it a one goal game again when Left wing Conor Sheary picked up his third goal of the season. But before the penalty box door opebed agaib, this time the Penguins taking another penalty & this time Right wing Nikita Kuecherov made good on the power play, getting his team another two goal lead, with his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
But in a second period where both teams took four penalties, the Lightning two goal lead was short-lived & Pittsburgh got it's first power play goal of the nght when Rightwing Bryan Rust scored his first goal of the year with just under six minutes left in the second period. And after scoring on that power play, Pittsburgh had another power play, with a chance to tie the game up at four, but Tampa Bay was able to kill off the Koekkoek penalty. And after exiting the penalty box, Koekkoek was able to joing Lightning rush & put the puck past Niemi for his second goal of the night & putting the Lightning up 5-3 entering the third period.
Through two periods, the two teams both had 28 shots on goal, with Tampa Bay converting three times & Pittsburgh converting once for the game. And just past two minutes into the third period, the Penguins got a chance on the power play when Center Tyler Johnson was called for Interference. The Lightning killed off that penalty, but with just under 10 minutes to go in the third period, the Penguins kept with the theme of the night when Defenseman Matt Hunwick put the puck past Vasilevskiy & again making it a one goal game, 5-4.
With the lead just one again, both teams seemed to be able to take advantage of open ice with scoring opportunities but both Niemi & Vasilevskiy made big saves, including an outstandng save on Crosby.
The Lightning, after beating Washington & Pittsburgh in back to back games, go for their third straight win Saturday night at Amalie Arena when they take on the St. Louis Blues at 7pm, with coverage beginning on News Radio 970 WFLA at 6:30pm.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
TBL: Slater Koekkoek (1) Assists: Chris Kunitz, Anton Stralman
PITT: Jake Guentzel (2) Assists: Kris Letang, Bryan Rust
TBL: Victor Hedman (1) (Power Play) Assists: Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov
2nd Period
TBL: Steven Stamkos (1) (Power Play) Assists: Vladislav Namestnikov, Alex Killorn
PITT: Conor Sheary (3) Assists: Chad Ruhwedel, Antti Niemi
TBL: Nikita Kucherov (4) Assists: Braydon Coburn, Alex Killorn
PITT: Bryan Rust (1) (Power Play) Assists: Jake Guentzel, Olli Maatta
TBL: Slater Koekkoek (2) Assists: Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson
3rd Period
PITT: Matt Hunwick (1) Assists: Greg McKegg, Phil Kessel
Shots On Goal
TBL- 34
PITT- 40