NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ The Lightning once again put themselves in the position of having to come from behind, but couldn't pull off the magic on Monday.
Tampa Bay fell to Nashville for the second time this season, 3-2. The Lightning scored first, but then gave up three goals to find itself in a hole.
Nikita Kucherov made it a one-goal game early in the third period. He and Brayden Point had two-on-one, with a step on two other Predators, and Point slid the puck over to Kucherov, who wristed it past Pekka Rinne to make it 3-2 at 3:25.
After that, the game became much more evenly matched. The Lightning applied pressure consistently in the final few minutes, but couldn't get a goal out of it. Kucherov had a couple of chances, Tyler Johnson was just wide on a nice look and Hedman's shot bounced over Rinne and was cleared.
The Lightning started the game on a good note, scoring the first goal for only the third time in the last 12 games. Point carried the puck up the ice and fed it to Victor Hedman, who was outnumbered one-to-two. Hedman took a shot of the rush and landed it top shelf, 5:10 into the game.
Louis Domingue made a couple of nice saves to preserve the lead, but it didn't last. The Predators tied it up with a power-play goal with about five minutes to go in the first period.
Nashville got a five-on-three power play after Hedman was called for slashing and then Ryan McDonagh for holding (read: tackling Nick Bonino from behind). The Lightning killed the two-player advantage without allowing a shot. Then Kyle Turris rocketed off a shot; Domingue got part of it, but the puck got through inside the post and the Predators had tied it up.
The second period, typically the Lightning's best this season, unraveled. Like the latter half of the first period, much of the second was played in front of Domingue.
The Lightning survived an almost-goal. Mikka Salomaki's shot dribbled past Domingue, curved and came to a stop just short of the goal line. Dan Girardi reached around Domingue to keep it out as the goalie fell back on the puck and the whistle blew.
Shortly after, however, the Predators took the lead. Filip Forsberg wristed a shot top shelf on the rush and there wasn't much Domingue could do about it. Nashville led 2-1 at 6:43 of the second.
The Predators took a two-goal lead a couple of minutes later. Ryan Johansen got his stick on Craig Smith's shot with an impressive tip at 10:16. Nashville followed that up immediately with a couple more grade-A chances but couldn't get another goal.
The Lightning seemed to have a good opportunity only 88 seconds after giving up the second goal, when Anthony Betetto was called for interference. But they could not even get set up in the zone, never mind put a shot on net.
Alex Killorn thought he had gotten one back for the Lightning with less than two minutes left in the second. Tyler Johnson fed him the puck at the back door, and Killorn flipped it in. The official ruled that Killorn had tripped Ryan Ellis before scoring and instead he ended up in the penalty box.
The Lightning had a scary moment in the first period when Domingue took a shot up high. He lay flat on the ice and was slow to get up. But eventually, Domingue skated over to the bench. A trainer appeared to check out his collarbone/neck, while an equipment manager adjusted his mask. Then Domingue skated back to the crease and played the rest of the game.
