After remaining lively with Saturday’s domestic win, the Lightning see to amplify their season once more.
Lightning cleared out wing Brandon Hagel (38) celebrates his second-period objective against the Pumas in Diversion 4 on Saturday at Amalie Field.
Lightning cleared out wing Brandon Hagel (38) celebrates his second-period objective against the Jaguars in Amusement 4 on Saturday at Amalie Field. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
TAMPA — The Lightning still confront a soak climb in their first-round playoff arrangement against the Jaguars.
But they’re still lively.
After winning Diversion 4 on domestic ice Saturday night to fight off end, the Lightning path within the best-of-seven arrangement three diversions to one as activity heads back to Dawn for Diversion 5 on Monday night.
Their 6-3 win over Florida in Amusement 4 was the biggest edge of triumph in what has been a tightly-contested arrangement.
Here’s what the Lightning have to be carry over from Saturday night to bring the arrangement back to Amalie Field for a Amusement 6 on Wednesday:
Stay ’emotionally engaged’
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) taps the protective cap of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) after beating the Pumas on Saturday.
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) taps the head protector of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) after beating the Pumas on Saturday. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
This isn’t anything made for cinema however. It’s fair one win, but the Lightning effortlessly seem have acknowledged an early exit and been playing golf by Sunday morning. But it’s been a fine line between winning and losing in all four recreations, and the group that made plays down the extend has finished up winning.
Playing an end diversion is troublesome, but a group can take off everything on the ice, physically and emotionally. In Diversion 5, the challenge will be remaining “emotionally engaged,” as Lightning coach Jon Cooper called it Sunday, realizing there’s still a long street ahead, but winning each period is critical.
“It’s been a arrangement of ebbs and flows,” Cooper said. “There’s times when they’re kind of all over us and I feel like there’s a few times when we’re all over them. So it’s how each group handles those. When we’re candidly locked in, which we unquestionably were (Saturday) night, that’s a great thing for us.”
Said center Anthony Cirelli:
“Just construct off of final amusement. Clearly, our feeling was tall. We’ve have to be come out frantic. Our lives are on the line. So it’s another diversion where we’ve ought to come out and play a full 60-minute amusement from the primary period and fair carry it on all game.”
Sergachev proceeds to settle in
Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev played his to begin with amusement in months on Saturday night, returning from a broken leg.
Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev played his to begin with diversion in months on Saturday night, returning from a broken leg. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
The astonish return of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev gave the Lightning an passionate boost and sent a surge through Amalie Field when fans realized he was aiming to play in his to begin with amusement since Feb. 7, when he broke two major bones in his cleared out leg.
Sergachev certainly made a contrast on the ice in his to begin with amusement back. He had the essential help on Brandon Hagel’s objective that gave the Lightning a 4-1 lead. But the Lightning certainly held Sergachev back, keeping in intellect that he’s as it were played in one amusement since Dec. 19 (when he missed time with a cleared out foot damage).
With a amusement beneath his belt, Sergachev can truly begin getting back to the elite-level defenseman he is. One of his greatest qualities is how he can stretch the ice with the way he moves the puck out of his possess conclusion, something the Lightning can utilize in getting back into this arrangement.
Remain overhauled on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Remain upgraded on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Subscribe to our free Sports Nowadays bulletin
We’ll send you news and examination on the Bucs, Lightning, Beams and Florida’s college football groups each day.
Stacking…
“He’s a extraordinary player,” defenseman Matt Dumba said. “So you’ll be able have a fellow like that back there making a difference out with the breakouts and fair getting his touches and progressing the puck, it’s colossal.
Keep up development, forcefulness on the control play
Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), cleared out, is praised by cleared out wing Brandon Hagel (38) after Stamkos scored a power-play objective within the to begin with period.
Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), cleared out, is praised by cleared out wing Brandon Hagel (38) after Stamkos scored a power-play goal within the to begin with period.
[ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
The Lightning benefited from getting a few early control plays, and Steven Stamkos’ power-play goal on their moment man advantage of the diversion gave Tampa Narrows an quick start.
Putting Brandon Hagel on the net front of the primary power-play unit helped.
Hagel had the auxiliary help on Stamkos’ goal. And rather than passing the puck around the edge trying to find a play, the control play buzzed around the net to make space down low. With the weapons they have, it’s at that point fair a matter of finding the open man and wrapping up.
After going 2-for-12 within the to begin with three diversions, the Lightning were 2-for-5 in Diversion 4. Stamkos’ game-opening objective was colossal, and Scratch Paul finished the scoring with a 5-on-3. But the Lightning too got two 4-on-4 objectives and a shorthanded score.
“It’s like objective scorers,” Cooper said. “Goal scorers are utilized to scoring objectives, but in some cases there’s a small bit of a droop and then sometimes they can get super streaky.
And it can be the same thing for a control play. And it fair gets amplified when it’s in the playoffs. And we’ve had a few enormous minutes that the control play might have made a difference us and did not.”
“(Saturday night), we require it, they gave it to us,” Cooper included. “And, so I think your certainty begins to brew and all of a sudden you’re getting way better looks than you thought you may; now you’re getting within the zone easier and there’s so numerous things that show from scoring a power-play goal.”