TAMPA, Fla. _ The Lightning were slow out the gate, and that doesn't cut it against the top team in the league. The Bruins took the game to Tampa Bay early and went on to win 2-1 on Tuesday.
The Bruins hemmed the Lightning into their own zone for most of the first period. Through 10 minutes, Tampa Bay only put four shots on net. Meanwhile, Boston tested Andrei Vasilevskiy over and over.
Bruins winger Brad Marchand finally broke through with a power-play goal inside the final minute of that first frame. Torey Krug set him up with an incredible pass to the goal front. Marchand beat Mikhail Sergachev to the crease, tipping the puck past Vasilevskiy.
It looked like Yanni Gourde tied the game up for the out-played Lightning early in the second period. Zach Bogosian set him up for an impressive one-timer from the top of the right circle. But the Bruins challenged the goal and the officials called it off for an offside play.
Jake DeBrusk scored on a breakaway midway through the second. An ill-advised pass deep in the offensive zone became a turnover that sprung DeBrusk. Bogosian dove and swiped at the stick, but caught the player instead, and was called for tripping. DeBrusk, however, hopped back up and continued on net, expanding the Bruins' lead to two goals.
Mitchell Stephens finally put the Lightning on the board late in the second period. He battled for space in front of the net. Stephens got free just as Tyler Johnson put a shot on net, but couldn't get out of the way of the puck. He knocked the shot down and then jumped on the loose puck to score himself.
The Lightning played a strong third period, but the Bruins had seized control too early for Tampa Bay to flip this one.
