Prior to the game, Coach Jon Cooper said that this was a “must points” game. The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a point, but not the win as a late goal from Owen Tippett tied the game, and then the Philadelphia Flyers won the skills competition to pick up the 2-1 win. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 of 32 shots, but came up short for the third time in his chase for 300 career wins. Nikita Kucherov scored his 11th of the season to provide the Lightning’s only offense.
At the other end of the ice, Ivan Fedotov stopped 23 of 24 shots and both Lightning attempts in the shootout to pick up his first win of the season. It’s the first win by a Flyers goaltender other than Sam Ersson this season.
The Lightning were without Brayden Point, who missed his second consecutive game due to injury, and then lost defenseman Erik Cernak early in the second period. The big blueliner blocked a shot with his arm during his first shift in the middle frame and didn’t return to the game.
First Period:
16:36 – Cam Atkinson flings the puck in the general direction of the Flyers’ net and that might be the closest thing either team has had to a shot attempt so far in the game. A lot of dump-and-chase, low-event hockey so far.
13:41 – A power play for the Lightning! Nikita Kucherov draws a slash from Tyson Foerster as he cut into the slot area. ESPN just pointed out that Kyle Konin isn’t technically an eBUG tonight as he did sign a one-day Amateur Try-Out contract with the Flyers and is listed as their back-up. He’s eligible to come into the game at any point, not just in the case of injury.
11:42 – The third-ranked Flyers penalty kill allows absolutely nothing until the last seconds of the power play. Conor Geekie gets wide open off to Fedotov’s right where Kucherov finds him with a slick pass. Geekie’s shot hits the pads and stays out.
8:21 – Vasilevskiy with his best save of the night as he kicks out the left pad to stop a deflection from Sean Couturier. Erik Cernak shakes up Travis Konecny with a hit in the corner a few seconds later. Tampa Bay has been credited with five hits already.
3:10 – Fedotov’s long legs kick out a point shot from JJ Moser, but the rebound eludes Zemgus Girgensons and Gage Goncalves. At the other end, Joel Farabee gets a step on Cernak, but Vasy blockers the shot aside.
1:13 – JJ Moser diving across the ice is going to be a thing, isn’t it?
0:41 – Nikita Kucherov, you are good at hockey. No, you are great at hockey. He goes coast-to-coast, one-on-four, draws Fedotov out of the crease and then wraps it into the near post. Sublime, absolutely sublime. Nikita Kucherov (Brandon Hagel, Emil Lilleberg) 1-0 Lightning
0:00 – For a young team, the Flyers were pretty sound in their own zone for most of the period. They didn’t allow the Lightning any of the cross-ice passing lanes that they love. The Bolts were solid as well, limiting the Flyers to just four scoring chances.
Second Period:
18:14 – Cernak blocks a shot with his arm and is slow to get up. The Flyers take advantage to pin the Lightning in and a Travis Sanheim shot rings off of the iron. Cernak finally gets to the bench and is hunched over in discomfort.
16:08 – Atkinson with a shot from distance that caroms over to Mikey Eyssimont. Fedotov is able to kick away the second shot as well. Atkinson then gets a breakaway, but can’t finish. It would have been a sweet goal for the former Flyer (who invited several teammates over to his house in Tampa for dinner last night).
10:35 – It looks like Nick Perbix is playing with Hedman and Moser with Ryan McDonagh. Cernak with just one shift so far in the second period.
8:59 – Vasilevskiy casually kicks out a point-blank shot from Anthony Richard, the former Syracuse Crunch forward who was just called up by Philadelphia.
6:19 – Kucherov comes flying in, misses the hit and ends up tripping Travis Konecny. That’s a penalty, and the Lightning get a chance to improve their penalty kill numbers.
4:01 – The penalty is killed fairly easily and then Vasilevskiy swallows up a dangerous shot from Couturier. The Big Cat is on his game tonight. Couturier’s shot came off of a feed from behind the net, the type of play that has often plagued the Lightning this season.
2:46 – In terms of scoring chances allowed, this has been one of the better second periods for the Lightning of late. Yes, it’s against a team that is struggling to score, but that’s never stopped them from giving up chances before. It still feels like they will need another goal or two to pick up the win. They’ll get a chance as Morgan Frost goes to the penalty box for hooking.Oh look, it’s Kucherov drawing the penalty again.
1:09 – Gage Goncalves coughs up the puck at center ice, but Vasilevskiy bails him out as he shuts down Noah Cates. The second unit with a long look with the extra skater, but couldn’t really get set out. A few chances at the end by the first unit, but a bouncing puck betrays Brandon Hagel in front of the net.
Third Period:
19:15 – Emily Kaplan reporting that Cernak was flexing his arm on the bench after blocking the shot in the second period. He hasn’t been back in the game, but the Lightning haven’t officially announced he’s out for the rest of the game.
18:20 – Nick Perbix wrestles Joel Farabee to the ground and is called for holding. Another power play for the Flyers, trailing by just a goal. The Lightning need another kill and then build off of the momentum.
16:17 – Emil Lilleberg pokes the puck over the Lightning blue line and down the ice to kill off the Flyers’ power play. Solid kill for the Lightning and the game stays 1-0 in their favor.
14:43 – The Geekie line with a nice long shift in the Flyers’ zone. Eyssimont had a couple of chances, but can’t find the back of the net. Now it’s the second line’s turn to grind out some time in the offensive zone. If they can keep leaning on the Flyers like this, the goals will come.
11:59 – A nice passing play has Fedotov down on his belly in the crease, but Kucherov has no angle to tap it in, and his attempt to bounce it off of the goalie sails high through the crease. The Bolts are making some nice plays, but just can’t finish them off right now.
9:02 – Geekie wings one just wide of the far post off of the rush. He’s playing with a lot of confidence tonight. The same with Goncalves. Over-Age Gage looks much more comfortable in the offensive zone tonight than he did in his first game this season.
4:31 – The Lightning come close to adding to their lead as Hagel backhands a wraparound on net. Fedotov is there with the right pad strong against the post to keep the puck out. Another tally from the Lightning would release a lot of tension in the building right now.
4:16 – Ugggghh. That’s why the second goal was so important. A turnover in the offensive zone leads to Owen Tippett speeding down the left-hand side of the ice. He somehow sneaks a shot in between the post and Vasy’s shoulder to tie the game. Owen Tippett (Travis Konecny) 1-1
0:00 – Well, the Lightning picked up a point at least. They were lucky to get that as Anthony Richard was all alone in the slot, but his shot is forced wide by Vasilevskiy. Too overtime we go!
Overtime and Shootout:
4:52 – Brandon Hagel tries to win it quickly as he charges down the ice and fires one that Fedotov stops.
3:45 – Fedotov with the save on Kucherov after Victor Hedman blocks a two-on-one rush the other way. There is a little action to this overtime through two minutes.
1:41 – Oh Mac! Ryan McDonagh has a look at an empty net after Fedotov is out of position following Anthony Cirelli’s shot, but he can’t contort his body enough to get a quality shot on net allowing the Philly goaltender to flop onto the loose puck.
0:00 – To the shootout!
Gage Goncalves – Saved. The rookie moved in slowly and tried to sneak it under the pads, but Fedotov denied it.
Travis Konecny – Goal – He drifts in front of Vasilevskiy and then roofs it over the glove against the run of play. That is a really nice move for the shootout.
Victor Hedman – Saved. Fedotov gets the shaft of his stick on Hedman’s shot.
Own Tippett – Goal. Whatever. The shootout is dumb.
