TAMPA, FL.– It was not the most picturesque of victories, but the Lightning’s 3-1 win over Detroit on Friday night at Amalie Arena was a masterpiece compared to what happened 24 hours earlier against Pittsburgh.
The decision over the Red Wings, after falling to the Penguins on Thursday night in a game that was not nearly as close as the 5-1 final, was the latest example of the Bolts’ ability to rebound after losing the front end of back-to-backs. They are 1-6-0 in the first game of such situations and 6–0-1 on the back side.
They have five more back-to-back sets this season.
“I can’t speak for the front half of it, but like I have said many times, we are a competitive group that hates to lose,” said Ryan McDonagh. “We hate to lose almost more than we like winning at times. The locker room is not on the right side of things (after a loss). It wasn’t the prettiest or fanciest game (Friday night), but it was winning hockey and a step in the right direction as far as that goes.”
The win also kept alive the Lightning’s season-long string of not having lost consecutive games in regulation, further underscoring their ability to waste no time in rebounding following defeat. More important was closing out a three-game homestand – they defeated Ottawa on Tuesday night – on a winning note prior to a six-game road trip.
“I don’t think, to a man, we put out the effort we wanted to (against Pittsburgh), and winning at home before you go on the road for a while is a good feeling,” said Brian Elliott, who was between the pipes Friday night and stopped 22 of 23 Red Wings shots in improving his record to 6-2-2. “Sometimes, that’s all you need to get on another little run.”
The Lightning, who had won five straight prior to losing to the Penguins, play 10 of their next 11 games on the road with a March 19 home date versus the Rangers sandwiched between six- and four-game trips.
After playing in Chicago on Sunday night for the first time since November 2019, the Bolts swing through western Canada for the first time in more than three years. In a six-day stretch commencing Tuesday, they will play in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver for the first time December 16-22, 2018. They return to the States with a date against expansion Seattle on March 16 in their first visit to Climate Pledge Arena.
“This may be the longest one that I have ever been a part of,” said McDonagh, of the 11-day trip. “It is going to be a test for us, for sure. We are going to play teams we have not seen in a while, and a new city that maybe some of us have not been to. At the end of the day, we have to have a road warrior mentality and sometimes it is good for us to go on those long trips.”
They head into the trip having gone a sparkling 15-4-1 in their last 20 games. A large part of their success is due to spreading the wealth throughout the lineup. Heading into Sunday night’s game (7 p.m.) against the Blackhawks, eight players have at least 10 goals. Pat Maroon and Ross Colton each have nine.
“That’s how you win,” said Brayden Point, who opened the scoring with his 22nd goal against the Red Wings. “You have to have everybody contributing. We have another really deep team again this year and everybody has been chipping in.”
That includes Mikhail Sergachev, whose two goals on the homestand doubled his season’s output. His third-period goal against Detroit gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead and was the difference. It was also a nice reward for a defenseman whose development the past couple of years has stood out.
“Sergei has really turned into a premier two-way defenseman, but in the end, they want to see their name on the score sheet, and I don’t blame them,” said coach Jon Cooper, of the 23-year-old Sergachev, who is 4-24-28 and averaging 22:42 ice time this season. “When it does happen, you are being rewarded for hard work and things you have done in the past, and he is being rewarded now.”
The Lightning, who were in first place and with a one-point lead over the Panthers in the Atlantic Division following play Friday, have only two games remaining at Amalie this month. The March 19 matchup against the Rangers is followed by a four-game trip. Carolina then comes to town on March 29.
April is another story as the Bolts have 11 games at Amalie, including a five-game homestand.
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