James Returns as Lightning Hope to Rebound Against Kraken
After losing to the New York Rangers 4-1 Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, the second time in less than two weeks, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper had one thing to say to the gathered media afterwards:
"Do you guys want to just play my presser from a week ago here?"
Cooper wasn't wrong in his initial evaluation of the second meeting between the Lightning and Rangers. When Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere scored barely a minute in, any momentum the Bolts built on four straight wins left New York City as quickly as it arrived.
Then, two penalties in the first eight minutes stifled any chance for the Bolts to regain any semblance of the team that had jumped out to quick starts and leads the last week.
From there, it was deja vu all over again at the Garden.
“I don’t think we built on our momentum that we created for ourselves,” Defenseman John Carlson said. “I think we picked it up a little bit there, but we’ve got enough players that have to find the back of the net, especially in those moments of a game.”
“We got scored on in the second shift of the game, so all of a sudden you are chasing it," Cooper said. "Our team has played extremely well for the most part since the last time we were here. I don’t know what it is since we’ve been here, but it was dreadful tonight. The execution, I couldn’t believe it.”
"I guess sometimes that happens, but it’s a little frustrating that we’ve come in here twice in 10 days and been outscored 9-2.”
Tampa Bay didn't lack opportunities. They just struggled to convert.
Despite the penalties, the Lightning snuffed out any chance for the Rangers to convert on the power play, killing all four opportunities. The Bolts are now 80% on the penalty kill, tied for 10th as of Tuesday night.
"Probably some of it (Tuesday night) has to do with what they're doing. You've got to give them credit," Cooper said. "They're coming in and executing and winning battles and doing all those things for two games; we haven't. Just turns out to be it's against the same team. But they've deserved both games."
"I think they kind of outworked us, executed a little bit better, and we just didn't have it today," Lone goal scorer Zemgus Girgensons said. "Just all around, I think they had a step on us. We didn't execute. We were somewhat disconnected. So nothing really was falling right."
As the Lightning head back to Tampa to prepare for Thursday night's home matchup against the Seattle Kraken, the Bolts know they still have a lot of work to do to avoid nights like the past two in New York.
“They’re playing really well,” Carlson said of the Rangers, “but that really doesn’t have much to do with our side and how we felt about our games. Obviously it’s going to take a better effort. They’re a hot team right now; they’re playing well and have some momentum, but we think we’re a good team and we have to take care of games like this more.”
Lightning Move Forward As Kraken Come to Town
Cooper announced Thursday morning that Dominic James will make his season debut tonight against the Kraken after missing the first two weeks with a hand injury.
James spoke with the media after morning skate today and revealed that he broke a bone in his hand during an early session on the ice before training camp. Playing for the Syracuse Crunch this past weekend helped him get back on track for tonight.
“I think it’s just seizing the opportunity again," James said Thursday morning. "You get excited again, and you’re right back at it battling for your spot. I think that’s what it is for me tonight. I need to seize the opportunity and just play my game.”
The Lightning need to win the faceoff battle Thursday night when the Kraken come to town. Tuesday night, the Rangers manhandled them at the faceoff dot, winning 33 of 54 faceoffs.
While the penalty kill has been stable, the power play still struggles to find its way. A 0-for-four effort at Madison Square Garden let New York take and keep the lead. Tampa Bay sits near the bottom of the NHL Power Play table at 25th with a paltry 8.3%.
Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn't had the stellar start he is used to so far this season. The Vezina Trophy winner ranks 20th in the league with a 2.55 GAA and an .886 save percentage. He can improve on those numbers tonight, with a 7-0-1 record against the Kraken, a .932 save percentage, a 1.73 goals-against average, and one shutout.
Getting back on the scoreboard after a dismal Tuesday night at the Garden will be key as the Bolts look to return to winning ways.
Nikita Kucherov leads the franchise in scoring against Seattle with 17 points (7G, 10A) in nine games. Brandon Hagel has 16 points (6G,10A) in eight games. The Rangers held both to three shots combined shots Tuesday night.
The Kraken enter the matchup 5-2-0, with four of those wins coming on the road.
Frederick Gaudreau leads Seattle with four goals and an assist (5 points), while Chandler Stephenson (1G, 6A) and Jared McCann (2G, 5A) lead the team in points with seven each.
The goalie tandem of Philip Grubauer and Jay Deccord has a combined 2.71 GAA and .911 save percentage.
The Lightning are 8-0-2 against the Kraken since Seattle joined the NHL for the 2021-22 season, including a 3-0-2 pace on home ice. The Bolts are the only team in the NHL
who have yet to lose to Seattle in regulation (8-0-2).
Pregame Notes
Coach Jon Cooper confirms Dominic James returns to the lineup tonight.
Emil Lilleberg will also return to the lineup. Charles-Edouard D'Astous and Gage Goncalves rotate out as Cooper confirms an 11-7 set.
After a whirlwind day of roster moves Tuesday, G Mads Sogaard was called up from Syracuse, dressed as backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy, then sent back to the Crunch. Regular backup Dennis Hildeby couldn't dress for undisclosed reasons.
The Lightning recalled F Dominic James from Syracuse Wednesday afternoon after a few days of conditioning and game time with the Crunch. James could return to the lineup as early as Thursday night.
C Anthony Cirelli’s next game will tie Tyler Johnson (589) to enter the top 10 for most games played in franchise history.
F Jeffery Viel needs one more goal to record the 100th goal of his career.
F Nikita Kucherov's season-starting five-game point streak ended Tuesday night at New York. He still needs six points to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Steven Stamkos (1,137).
Up Next
The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Seattle Kraken at Benchmark International Arena on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 7 pm.
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