The Lightning’s Streak Comes to an End Against the Panthers

The Lightning’s season-long win streak was going to end eventually, and given the exemplary way they’d played over the previous eight games, they probably were due for an off night.

In many ways, the Lightning played well enough to win Monday night against the cross-state rival Panthers. They allowed just two goals, and only one at even strength. But they wasted too many offensive opportunities early, especially on a power play that was 0-for-7 over 10 minutes, 32 seconds with the man advantage.

Still, the Lightning took the game down to the final moments, when defenseman Victor Hedman’s shot pinged harmlessly off the right post, the final dagger in their streak-ending 2-1 loss.

“We just reeled off eight in a row,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “You can’t do that without some things going your way. And at some point, we know the bounce is going to bounce out instead of in. And on a couple occasions, especially in the third period, that’s what happened. I liked our effort.”

The Lightning hadn’t lost a game since Feb. 1, and their last regulation loss was Jan. 28. But they ran into a team that was nearly just as hot — Monday’s win was the Panthers’ ninth in their past 11 games. Florida received a boost ahead of Friday’s trade deadline with the acquisition of top-four defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago.

These teams know each other well, and every time they meet there’s added intensity. They’ve met in the playoffs three of the past four years, and Monday’s game had that tight-space, hard-checking feel of the postseason.

“We played against them last year in the playoffs,” Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola said. “And they are in the race like we are, and we’re probably gonna see them in the first or second round, so we can send them a message early.”

Power-play Outage

The Lightning went into the game looking to tweak their struggling power play. They moved players around, with winger Nikita Kucherov drifting from his usual spot along the right half wall to higher up in the zone near the point. Eleven of the Lightning’s 29 shots on goal came on the power play, but Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped them all.

“We had some good looks, some good chances,” Lightning center Brayden Point said. “‘Bob’ made some good saves, or they got sticks on things. There’s a couple of power plays that, obviously, we’d like to have back. We couldn’t get set up. But just one of those games where the chances we got just weren’t going in.”

Over the Lightning’s past 13 games, the power play is 6-for-34 for a 17.6% success rate. That’s a far cry from their 26.2% success rate for the season, which ranks sixth in the league.

“That, ultimately, is probably the difference,” Cooper said of the power play’s struggles Monday.

No Denying Barkov

In the first period, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy robbed Aleksander Barkov, kicking away a shorthanded shot with his right pad. Barkov also hit the post in the period.

But just over nine minutes into the second, the Florida captain beat Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot from just above the left hash. Barkov found space in almost the same spot on the power play, putting the Panthers up 2-0 with 4:44 left in the period.

“He’s been the top goalie in the league for a long time, and there’s a reason for that, so it’s not easy to get it past him,” Barkov said. “So, it was good that we got a couple.”

Said Cooper, “It was just a couple little breakdowns. On the PK, it’s something we probably shouldn’t give up there. We knew it. And a turnover. That was it.”

A Trying Third Period

Point made it a one-goal game with his 32nd goal just over two minutes into the third, putting his own rebound past Bobrovsky. Anthony Cirelli nearly tied the game little more than two minutes later, roofing a shot off the crossbar that went straight down but stayed out of the net. Point tried to backhand it in but was met by a Florida stick.

Barkov’s turnover in the neutral zone with just under three minutes left gave Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh a shorthanded breakaway, but Bobrovsky stopped his shot with his left pad.

The Lightning pressured Bobrovsky until the end, and with an extra attacker in the game’s chaotic final moments, Hedman had the equalizer on his stick in the slot. He had an open look, but his shot just missed tying the game, hitting the right post.

“Theirs find a way in the back of the net, and ours hit posts,” Cooper said. “It was ultimately two really good teams, and it was a good hockey game.”

Tonight

vs. Blue Jackets, 7, Amalie Arena TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 102.5-FM

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