TAMPA, Fla. — Nearly six weeks and four rescheduled games later than originally planned, the Lightning finally met the Dallas Stars for the first time since last year’s Stanley Cup Final.
The buzz of the rematch was lost by how deep the teams are into their season. The Stars were the only Central Division opponent the Lightning had yet to play going into Saturday night’s game at Amalie Arena, which also means they’ll see each other eight times down the stretch. Saturday’s game showed why the teams are heading in very different directions.
While the Stars set the tone early playing bullishly against the Lightning, determined to show Tampa Bay they hadn’t forgotten the events in the Edmonton bubble last September, it wasn’t long before the Lightning took control, beating the Stars, 5-0.
The Lightning (14-4-1), winners of four straight, scored three second-period goals, including a short-handed one by center Anthony Cirelli, who made his return to the lineup after missing the past six games due to injury.
Tampa Bay scored two goals on the power play, a unit that had struggled entering the night. Before Ondrej Palat’s goal put the Lightning up 1-0 with 6:42 left in the first, the Lightning were 2 for 15 on the power play in their previous five games.
Palat changed that quickly three seconds into the Lightning’s first power play of the night, charging toward the net off a faceoff from the right circle, finding the puck on his stick and beating Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin under the crossbar.
Last year’s Cup final was physical, and the Stars wanted to establish that same tempo early. Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak and Lightning forward Pat Maroon dropped their gloves 6:51 into the game. Overall, Dallas didn’t pass up any attempt to throw in a push after the whistle.
But the Lightning outmatched the Stars with their speed and skill, particularly on special teams. It didn’t help that Dallas (6-6-4), which has just one win in its past nine games, was sloppy with the puck and committed several turnovers that gifted the Lightning rushes on the net.
Cirelli’s goal came 4:06 into the second period, when Steven Stamkos picked off a pass in the Lightning’s defensive zone and passed to Cirelli as he skated through the neutral zone for a breakaway. Cirelli then beat Khudobin, flicking a back-handed shot high into the net.
Brayden Point then took a chip pass in the neutral zone and hit another gear into the offensive end, flicking a wrister from the top of the right circle under Dallas defenseman Andrej Sekera’s stick and past Khodobin top shelf.
Maroon had the last laugh, redirecting Tyler Johnson’s puck on the net past Khudobin in the paint on the power play to give the Lightning a 4-0 lead.
And just 67 seconds into the third period, Stamkos rifled a one-timer from the left circle past new Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger to give Tampa Bay a five-goal lead.
The Lightning were back at full strength for the first time in two weeks, also getting back defenseman Erik Cernak, who missed more than half of Tampa Bay’s previous game after blocking a shot with his foot.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his second straight shutout win, recording 20 saves.
