TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning aren’t going to back down when they’re challenged to muscle up. Embracing more physicality is a major reason they won the Stanley Cup last year. But when they’re at their best, they still win games with dazzling and, on many nights, unparalleled skill.
Coming off a game against Nashville that had 18 penalties, including six majors, the biggest question going into Monday’s rematch was whether the fisticuffs would carry over in the second game in three nights between the teams.
But the Lightning came out of the gate puffing their chests in a different way, showing the Predators why they’re the reigning Cup champs.
Tampa Bay scored three first-period goals, weaving their way around the Nashville defense with superior puck possession and precision passing in a 5-2 win at Amalie Arena.
The Lightning (5-1-1) then withstood a third-period rally — the Predators scored two goals in the period — for the win.
Tampa Bay’s opening-period flurry was capped by a sensational goal from Brayden Point with 0.4 seconds remaining while running a give-and-go with forward Mathieu Joseph.
Just as a Tampa Bay power play was ending, Point and Joseph — two of the team’s fastest skaters — had a two-on-one. Coming across the left circle, Point passed to Joseph across the slot.
As Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros slid over to defend, Joseph skated toward the end line and flicked the puck back across the crease to Point, who had an open net along the left side.
The Lightning’s second goal was almost just as pretty. Anthony Cirelli skated along the left boards and found Tyler Johnson at the right circle on the rush. Johnson found Yanni Gourde streaking through the slot, and Gourde poked the puck past Saros in front the crease with 6:01 left in the first.
Steven Stamkos became the Lightning’s franchise leader in career power-play points in the second period with a wrister from the left circle that went through Dante Fabbro’s legs and beat Saros far post, 7:23 into the period.
The goal, Stamkos’ fourth of the season, gave him 301 power-play points, passing Marty St. Louis.
Stamkos also assisted on the first goal, 9:13 into the game. Stamkos led a 2-on-1 rush with Ondrej Palat. His pass to Palat was blocked, then went off both of his skates and toward Palat, who maintained possession through traffic in front of the net and found the back of the net.
Much like Saturday, when they turned a three-goal deficit into a one-goal game in Tampa Bay’s 4-3 victory, the Predators forced the issue offensively in the third period.
Nashville scored twice in a 2-minute, 48-second span. Eeli Tolvanen’s scored 2:53 into the period when Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy struggled to track a pass from Erik Haula from behind the net to a streaking Tolvanen, who beat Vasilevskiy nearside. Then Mikael Granlund found the back of the net in traffic after Vasilevskiy lost his stick 5:41 into the third.
The Lightning’s Yanni Gourde scored an empty-netter with 15 seconds left.
