Pretty Passing Propels Bolts to Lopsided Road Win Over Kraken
- Riley Gillespie-Wilson
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
Riley Gillespie-Wilson | Thunderstruck Sports
The Tampa Bay Lightning played two extremely solid periods of hockey in Seattle on Tuesday night. The middle frame was a mixed bag, but altogether spurred along by a Nikita Kucherov hat-trick and five-point night, the Bolts cruised to a 6-2 win over the Kraken.
To say the Bolts could use a win entering Seattle would be an understatement. The Lightning's previous loss to Carolina continued their malaise since the Olympic Break. During that stretch, Tampa Bay boasted only three wins in 10 games played.
A good start to this tilt and the road trip would go a long way. Ask, and you shall receive, I suppose, as Tampa finally showed up ready to roll at Climate Pledge Arena.
Stifling Start Defensively
Tampa Bay didn't surrender a shot for the first half of the opening frame. Andrei Vasilevskiy was perfect in the period, but wasn't called upon to make huge stops as he has been in recent weeks.
The Lightning were also spotless on their lone penalty kill in the first.
Eventually, after several chances offensively, the Bolts got theirs and got on the board.
Give-and-go Gage
Gage Goncalves was able to notch his eighth point in seven games since the recess, burying one on a sweet play off the rush. The play started with a turnover forced by a Goncalves check. He then deposited the disk to cap off a beauty.
It was 1-0 for the road Lightning with 14:14 to skate in the first period.
Teams Trade Power Plays
A series of penalties highlighted the back half of the first, with the Lightning garnering two cracks on the man-advantage.
They got the game's first opportunity, and another, both scoreless, before killing off a Kraken power play. It was just 14 seconds later, though, that Nikita Kucherov turned what had been a tough period by his standards around.
Flipping the Switch
Kucherov had been visibly upset with a couple turnovers to begin the game, namely on those power plays.
Then, well, 86 magic. More sweet passing for the Lightning, capped off by 'Kuch.'
Just like that it was 2-0 Tampa Bay. They carried that lead into the locker room.
An excellent remedy to what had been plaguing Tampa lately, and a 2-0 lead as a result of a fantastic start.
More Kucherov Magic to Start Second
Kucherov wasn't done there, as he connected on an eventual tap-in, and a pretty one for Tampa Bay. It was 3-0 Lightning just a minute into the second period.
Quick Response Spurs Strong Seattle Push
Just 10 seconds later, recently acquired Bobby McMann got on the board. He drove the outside and ripped one past Vasilevskiy to make it 3-1.
The Kraken weren't done.
Jared McCann drove the net hard and potted one of his own after a sequence in which the Lightning took several penalties.
Tampa, to their credit, did kill one off with the game at 3-2, and the Kraken threatening to tie the contest.
It remained 3-2 for the road Bolts after forty.
Shift in Game Flow to Close Period
Tampa Bay had started the game on a tear, but 10 of 12 shots in the middle portion of the second belonged to Seattle. The shots were 15-14 in favor of the Lightning after two periods.
To avoid squandering a 3-0 lead in this one, the Bolts would certainly need to match the Kraken's energy in the final stanza.
Bolts Rewarded for Hard Work to Start Third
Ah, yes, a typical Anthony Cirelli workman's-type goal. Just what the doctor ordered to begin the final 20 minutes.
Five minutes into the period, 'Tony' was net-front off a Kraken turnover. Right place, right time and it was a 4-2 Bolts lead.
From there it was the continued theme of the night, nice work passing the puck, that led to a big goal on the power play to make it 5-2 for Tampa.
This time it was Kucherov, to Goncalves, to Hagel - to the back of the net. A four point night for both Hagel and Kucherov. Oh, and Kucherov wasn't satisfied.
He would add an empty-netter to complete the hat trick and make it a 6-2 final in favor of the Lightning.
A huge win at the right time for this Tampa Bay group to kick off their four-game road trip in style.
They bent but didn't break, killing a penalty when the game was brought to 3-2, then had an excellent third period to put it on ice and grab the two points.
Three Stars of the Game
Nikita Kucherov - TBL
Brandon Hagel - TBL
Gage Goncalves - TBL
Up Next
The Bolts are back at it Thursday in Vancouver, before taking on the Oilers in Edmonton Saturday. Both games are 10 p.m. ET puck drops. The road trip closes in Calgary at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Comments