TAMPA, Fla. — Given how much anticipation there was entering the season about last year’s Stanley Cup teams being paired in the same division, it’s interesting that the Lightning will play a big role in whether the Stars make the playoffs at all this year.
With Dallas battling for the Central Division’s final playoff spot, Lightning coach Jon Cooper expected to see a desperate Dallas team. Three of the Stars’ final seven games are against Tampa Bay, so the Lightning will have a say in their fate. Dallas came into the night trailing Nashville by two points but with two games in hand.
The Lightning, coming off their playoff-clinching win in Chicago on Tuesday, can still improve their postseason seeding over their final seven games.
The Stars did come out buzzing Thursday night at Amalie Arena, but had flashbacks of last year’s Stanley Cup, as Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy quieted them in a 3-0 win.
Vasilevskiy recorded 20 saves, notching his league-leading 30th win of the season. Vasilevskiy is 5-1 against Dallas this season. In last year’s Stanley Cup Final, Vasilevskiy had a .911 save percentage, starting all six games.
The Lightning (34-14-2) have won four straight and five of their past six games.
Blake Coleman’s short-handed penalty shot goal 8:27 into the third gave the Lightning much-needed breathing room and deflated the Stars’ attack.
Coleman took the puck away from Dallas defenseman John Klingberg at center ice, then raced toward the net before he was tripped up from behind by Klingberg.
On the penalty shot, Coleman methodically skated along the right side before launching a wrist shot from the top hashmark that beat Dallas goaltended Jake Oettinger top shelf along his blocker side.
The Stars (21-17-12) had the momentum in the second period, outshooting the Lightning 11-2. Dallas had 10 scoring chances in the period.
Holding a one-goal lead In the second, Vasilevskiy stopped Dallas forward Roope Hintz on a two-on-one breakaway. Jason Robertson led the rush, and Vasilevskiy had help from defenseman Erik Cernak, who slid to take away Robertson’s shot and got his glove on pass to Hintz. But Vasilevskiy turned Hintz away.
Ondrej Palat capitalized on a Dallas turnover to score the first goal 5:19 into the game. Rookie Alex Barre-Boulet’s pressure forced a bad pass in Dallas’ own zone, and Palat found the puck in the slot and beat Oettinger.
