Here are three reasons to like the Lightning’s new-look power play. Thursday’s moves were transformative, because the personnel and positional changes made it difficult to tell which was the top unit and which was the second. Point men Victor Hedman and Darren Raddysh switched units, with Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel matched with Raddysh.
All these years later, the descriptions practically write themselves. Brayden Point? He glides. Nikita Kucherov? He creates. Anthony Cirelli? He bleeds. Those are all compliments, by the way. Shorthand for a signature style of play.
There’s no doubt the Lightning need better scoring depth from their forward group. Their top six have put up big numbers. In fact, Tampa Bay remains the only team in the NHL with four 20-goal scorers.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will play the Chicago Blackhawks twice in the next five days, starting on Friday night in Chicago. The Lightning are 0-2 so far on their road-trip and would love nothing more than to grab two points.
After a brutal schedule of games in the month of January, the Lightning are back home at Amalie Arena for the foreseeable future ahead of the 4 Nations break. They'll open their five-game homestand with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks who they faced just last week.
Cam Talbot made 28 saves and the host Detroit Red Wings handed the Tampa Bay Lightning their first shutout loss of the season, 2-0, on Saturday. Marco Kasper and Michael Rasmussen scored the goals as the Wings avenged a 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay a week earlier.
Both teams tightened up defensively in the second period, so scoring chances were more limited. The Red Wings did break the tie, however. Marco Kasper got open in front of the Lightning net and redirected a puck off the post and in at 9:55.
Tampa Bay does everything but score against Detroit and has nothing to show for it in another loss to a division opponent.
The general manager says the team’s play has been deserving of more wins, but a friendlier schedule should lead to more points.
Slaggert put the Blackhawks ahead 2-1 at 18:14 with a snap shot from the top of the left circle off a drop pass from Lukas Reichel. Slaggert was playing his first NHL game of the season, having been recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
The Red Wings won their second consecutive game on this three-game homestand Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Tampa.
Slaggert put the Blackhawks ahead 2-1 at 18:14 with a snap shot from the top of the left circle off a drop pass from Lukas Reichel. Slaggert was playing his first NHL game of the season, having been recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Sunday.