Late Tally Spoils Bolts Comeback Bid in Bell Centre Bout Full of Animosity
- Riley Gillespie-Wilson
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Riley Gillespie-Wilson | Thunderstruck Sports
Despite a goal to tie the game for Tampa Bay just moments from the buzzer, the Lightning couldn't manage a single point in Montreal. Darren Raddysh had the tying bid, Juraj Slafkovsky the dagger for the home Montreal Canadiens. His goal with just over a minute left sunk the Lightning 2-1 at Bell Centre Thursday night.
It's a known fact around the NHL that playoff hockey has a different feel. A different atmosphere in the building and a unique intensity. So, how can one replicate that type of game in the regular season? Well, a high-octane showdown with mere games remaining will do. A battle for Atlantic supremacy between two of its top teams to boot? Two servings please.
Weathering the Storm
The Bolts had to know the Bell Centre in Montreal would be rocking early. The proverbial early push was coming. The Bolts had to brace for it and survive it. That was made exponentially more difficult to do when Yanni Gourde was called for a four-minute high-sticking penalty in the game's early-goings.
With Gourde in the box, though, Andrei Vasilevskiy stepped up, making several big saves. Two of those came on Cole Caufield, whose potential 50th of the year would absolutely have blown the roof off the building.
Vasilevskiy's work was complimented by good positioning, good sticks and some clears. The Bolts got through the shorthanded stint unblemished on the scoreboard.
Power Play Blanks on Both Sides
The Lightning would then get two power plays of their own to close the opening period. Their best chance of the first, though, likely came 5-on-5 off the stick of Jake Guentzel, right in on goal off a turnover in Montreal ice.
As for the man-advantage there wasn't a ton to report, and both teams squandered four minutes of power play time through twenty.
Dodging Bullets Late
Late in the frame Nick Suzuki brought the Bell Centre crowd to its feet with a great look on net, but rung iron. That was one of two posts the Habs hit in the waning moments of period one.
The Lightning were able to escape and get to the room. Despite a 0-0 score after the first, it was clear the Canadiens were fired up and ready to play for this one. Before and after their extended man-advantage, Montreal had the better opening stanza, and outshot the Bolts 8-3.
Fireworks
While the purpose of this article may be to recap the game, this one isn't summed up without a mention of the extra-curriculars. It was nearly impossible to get through a whistle without a scrum, a fight or both, especially as the second period wore on.
One of the larger scrums in the second began with Josh Anderson bothering Charle-Edouard D'Astous from behind.
D'Astous grabbed ahold of Anderson and off we went.
Later, on an eventual penalty to Brayden Point for running Jakub Dobes, he was crosschecked to the ice. Off we went once more. Gloves off, punches thrown.
In the "main event" of the second in terms of physicality, Declan Carlile dropped the gloves with Anderson.
All in all, the intensity was beyond high in a second period full of rough stuff.
Back to the Hockey
Within all of this, there was still a game to be played, and still two points on the line for these Atlantic foes.
The Bolts had set the tone physically, no doubt. They would need to do some work on the scoreboard though after a Montreal youngster hit a big milestone.
History for the Home Team
50 goals for Cole Caufield was a huge moment in Montreal. He beat Vasilevskiy off the rush and a pass from Nick Suzuki to make it 1-0 Habs before the midway mark of the second.
This felt like a pivotal moment in the game to see how the Bolts would respond to a buzzing Montreal crowd and group.
There were nearly 100 minutes of penalties through 40 minutes. Tampa didn't generate a ton of chances in the period, but it remained a one-shot affair after the second, even though Montreal had several unsuccessful power play attempts.
Third Period Sees Drama to Bitter End
For much of the third period, it looked like a different game than the first two frames in terms of chances for both teams off the rush.
In the end it boiled down to an absolutely crazy final few minutes.
Tampa had been searching and searching for an equalizer. Who better to bury it than Nikita Kucherov? Well, apparently Raddysh.
Kucherov had a glorious look at the side of the net on a late power play attempt for the Bolts. The puck was rolling, however, and he hit the outside of the post on a shot that found the protective mesh.
It was then Raddysh who looked to have secured at least a point for the Lightning with a rip past Dobes to tie the game with less than two minutes left.
That's when the dagger hit. A loose puck centered to Slafkovsky and this one was in the books as he beat Vasilevskiy.
The Bolts got one last look with Vasilevskiy on the bench once more, but it was a stop from the Canadiens netminder that officially put Tampa Bay in third place in the Atlantic.
The Standings
This win launches Montreal to 104 points, two points back of the Buffalo Sabres. The Lightning now sit third as mentioned, with 102.
In all likelihood, Tampa Bay will slot into the 2/3 matchup in their division in some capacity after this result.
Their opponent? It could just be these Habs, clocking in at roughly 48 per cent odds entering Thursday night.
Three Stars of the Game
Juraj Slafkovsky (MTL)
Cole Caufield (MTL)
Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)
Up Next
The Lightning will finish this road trip with a matinee in Boston against the Bruins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. They then play the first of their final two home games against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
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