TAMPA BAY, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 30 at Amalie Arena after losing 4-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks at home. This game marked the Bolts’ second of four consecutive home games and a chance to bounce back with necessary points to keep up in the already competitive Atlantic Division standings.
The Kings went with David Rittich as their starting goaltender, after Darcy Kuemper started yesterday in Sunrise against the Florida Panthers—they lost to the reigning Stanley Cup champions 3-0. Meanwhile, the Bolts started Andrei Vasilevskiy, after his return to the lineup following an illness.
To start the first period, Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for the Bolts, netting a close-to-crease breakaway goal from a center-ice feed by Gage Goncalves; Vasilevskiy also received a secondary assist on Hagel’s goal. That was the only scoring in the first and second period.
With 12:16 left in the second period, after the penalty was killed, Jacob Moverare entered Tampa’s zone, passed to Quinton Byfield at the blueline, and Byfield shot and scored. However, the Lightning bench challenged the goal for offsides, prompting linesmen Andrew Smith and Trent Knorr to review it with the situation room in Toronto.
And after review, the play was deemed offside, as Moverare entered the zone first without full control of the puck.
Into the final third frame, Hagel got another goal almost 16 minutes in, after he intercepted a rebound from Kucherov’s breakaway chance on Rittich.
Then with nearly a minute remaining before the final buzzer, Anthony Cirelli capitalized on the Kings’ empty net while shorthanded, solidifying a 3-nothing, shutout win.
Final Thoughts
(Photo credit: Andrew Fielder — Inside The Rink)
Click here to see photo gallery of this game by ITR’s photographer Andrew Fielder
Both teams played a really solid game. The second period was the best defensive performance from both of the clubs, as they denied any goals from being scored with the help of their netminders.
But the Lightning played a tight defensive game, learning from previous mistakes against the Blackhawks from the other night, and that generated a lot of key offensive chances and discipline for the team.
As mentioned before, the two netminders between the pipes were laser-sharp. Obviously, Vasilevskiy got the shutout, but Rittich also denied 31 shots from the Bolts and stopped a lot of close chances by their top lines.
As rewarded, the two ‘tendies made the three stars of the game.
Three Stars
- Vasilevskiy (28 saves, shutout, 1 assist)
- Hagel (2G-1A=3Pts)
- Rittich (31 saves)
The Lightning continue their home stretch this Saturday, Feb. 1, against the New York Islanders.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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