The Tampa Bay Lightning returned home from sweeping their three game West Coast trip & won their fifth straight game, beating former teammate goalie Ben Bishop & the Dallas Stars 6-1. Lightning Center Steve Stamkos scored twice & had two assists while Lightning Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves.
The game started with both teams taking the body but within the first three minutes the Lightning tested their former teammate Bishop when in one offensive rush Defenseman Victor Hedman had two scoring chances but was turned away by Bishop.
After those chances for Hedman, the excitement came again when after some chippy play, with less than five minutes gone in the game, Lightning Center Vladislav Namestnikov & Stars Defenseman Dan Hamhuis squared off & got five minute penalties each for fighting.
The physical play by both teams led to some odd man rushes including a three on one rush for the Stars, where Vasilevskiy came up big. There were a few hacks taking after the whistle after Vasilevskiy's save but the first power play didn't come until there was less than eight minutes left in the first period when Stars Right Wing Alexander Radulov reacted to a Lightning player's clean hit & was called for roughing.
The Lightning power play went quietly as the Stars were successful in stacking the blue line. But before the close of the first period the Lightning were applying pressure to the Stars in the offensive end forcing Stars Defenseman Greg Pateryn to take a hooking penalty with just eight seconds left in the period.
The Lightning out-shot the Stars 13-6 in the first period & started the second period on the power play. And just 47 seconds into the period, the Lightning set up their power play & after a feed from Kucherov, Stamkos was positioned at his usual spot at the left circle & shot a one-timer past Bishop for the 1st goal of the game.
That Lightning 1-0 lead lasted less than three minutes after a giveaway by Tampa Bay in their offensive zone & Stars Center Radek Faksa was able to get loose for a breakaway & beat Vasilevskiy to tie the game at one. But within 90 seconds of that Stars game-tying goal, the Lightning took the lead again when Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev blasted a shot from the point that seemed to fool Bishop & beat him on the high side.
The Lightning took a 2-1 lead but immediately after took two penalties within three minutes. Fortunately for the Lightning on the second penalty kill, Center Brayden Point chased the play behind the Stars net & did some pick-pocketing then beat Bishop to give the Lightning a shorthanded goal & a 3-1 lead.
The Lightning killed off another power play after the Point shorthanded goal & were out-shot in the second period 15-8. And the Stars owned the play early in the third but with less than four minutes gone in the third, Stamkos picked up his second goal of the night, giving the Lightning a three goal lead.
Stamkos had a shot at the hat trick but was stopped on a good scoring chance by Bishop, who made a kick-out pad save but the puck eventually found Defenseman Jake Dotchin who got a low shot past Bishop for a 5-1 lead. And a rush by the Lightning ending with a great pass from Hedman to Kucherov, who was standing at the Stars' net gave Tampa Bay their sixth goal past Bishop & Kucherov's league leading 17th goal of the season.
During a break in the first period, the Lightning played a video tribute to Bishop outlining some of the memorable moments of his career as a Lightning goaltender. Bishop acknowledged the crowd with a wave of his stick & removed his mask, while the crowd chanted, "Thank You Bishop."
The Lightning will look for their sixth straight win when they take on the Islanders on Saturday at Amalie Arena. Face-off is at 7pm with coverage beginning on 970 WFLA at 6:30pm.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
NONE
2ND PERIOD
1. TBL - PPG - Stamkos - (Hedman, Kucherov) - 00:47
2. DAL - Faksa - (Unassisted) - 3:34
3. TBL - Sergachev - (Killorn, Johnson) - 4:51
4. TBL - SHG - Point - (Unassisted) - 11:20
3RD PERIOD
1. TBL - Stamkos - (Kucherov, Namestnikov) - 3:57
2. TBL - Dotchin - (Sergachev, Stamkos) - 8:18
3. TBL - Kucherov - (Hedman, Stamkos) - 13:52
PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. TBL - Namestnikov - (Fighting) - 4:44
2. DAL - Hamhuis - (Fighting) - 4:44
3. DAL - Radulov - (Roughing) - 12:05
4. DAL - Pateryn - (Hooking) - 19:51
2ND PERIOD
1. TBL - Nametnikov - (Hooking) - 8:32
2. TBL - Stralman - (Slashing) - 11:08
3. TBL - Gourde - (Tripping) - 12:44
3RD PERIOD
1. DAL - Hamhuis - (Holding) - 10:13
2. DAL - Hanzal - (Cross checking) 19:44