Dec 6, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Alex Killorn (17) passes the puck to Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Mathieu Joseph (7) to score a gaol against the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Lightning strikes around the Tampa Bay area are quite common and they come quickly and often. Take that analogy inside Amalie Arena on Thursday night and two third quarter strikes left the Boston Bruins reeling in Tampa Bay’s 3-2 win over the visitor’s in the first of four meetings this season.
Early in the third period, the Lightning proved opportunistic as the puck got away from Boston defenseman Brandon Carol in the Lightning zone. Alex Killorn recovered the puck and threaded the needle on a breaking Mathieu Joseph who rang home his ninth goal of the season and gave Tampa Bay its first lead at the 2:40 mark of the third period.
“I think Killer made a great play and he kept it in the neutral zone and it was a great play by Killer (Killorn) – between the guy’s legs – and I just was lucky that kind of went in and it was kind of a big goal.”
Then, just 1:23 later, Steven Stamkos knocked away a Bruins’ shot which squirted out to Anthony Cirelli who used his speed and scored a shorthanded goal on the breakaway to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead with 15:57 remaining.
“I thought Stam made a really good play,” said Cirelli, who netted his fifth goal of the year. “He didn’t have a stick on him, so he just kind of batted it. I saw that he went over one way and came back with the other and might have a chance and lucky when I got hold of it.”
It was a game of ebbs and flows as the momentum swung back and forth throughout. The Bruins had lots of opportunities to score late in the second period, but couldn’t get it done as Tampa Bay goalie Louis Domingue was equal to the task in turning away all 12 Boston shots in the second.
“There were chances both ways and there were some swings in the game and a big thing for us and where Louis stood tall for us was the last eight minutes of the second period where we were pretty careless with the puck and Boston tilted the ice a little bit and we have to be better than that,” said Tampa Bay coach John Cooper. “It was good to get that period over with and reset.”
The Lightning once again received stellar play from Cirelli who is in his first full year with the team after playing in 18 regular season games a year ago. Add Joseph to that in his rookie year as he is plus-7 over his last four outings.
“As guys leave the team and other guys come up, that’s what helps you become a good team. Cirelli got a taste of it last year and has and has played some pretty big spots and has taken another step this year,” explained Cooper. “Jo is a little more of a wildcard in a sense that this is his first time in the league and he is getting more acclimated doing what he can and can’t do. Both sides of the puck are better as the puck is going in for him.”
Bruins’ leading scorer David Pastrnak opened scoring in the first period as he tapped in a puck just to the right of Domingue as Boston took a 1-0 lead. It was Pastrnak’s 20th goal of the season as he came in with eight goals in his last 14 games.
Then, Lightning scoring leader Brayden Point matched his scoring counterpart when he took a back-handed pass from right-winger Nikita Kucherov, who tallied his 31st assist for the season, in front of the Bruins net and tied the game at 1-1 at the 14:59 mark of the first period.
Point picked his third goal in his last four games and seventh in the last nine as the Lightning won the eighth of the last nine games.
