The Tampa Bay Lightning closed out their opening homestand the right way, beating the Minnesota Wild 3-2 last night at Benchmark International Arena and stretching their winning streak to three. The biggest story from the night was the impact of two newcomers: John Carlson and Dennis Hildeby.
Carlson delivered the Lightning’s first power-play goal of the season, and he did it with his second goal of the game to push Tampa Bay ahead 3-1. After the first four games of the year, that was a welcome breakthrough for a unit that had opened 0-for-13 on the power play.
Even with that goal on the board, though, the rest of the night didn’t exactly scream solved problem. Coach John Cooper has been experimenting with the power-play units in practice, but he didn’t carry those changes into last night’s game, and the other two chances didn’t do much to inspire confidence in the current setup.
In net, Hildeby gave Tampa Bay exactly what it needed in his first game with the club. He stopped 34 of 36 Minnesota shots and was perfect on all 15 attempts he saw in the third period, picking up his first win in his first appearance for the Lightning.
There’s also a good chance another new face is coming soon. After the Lightning sent forward Jansen Harkins to Syracuse, many around the team believed Dominic James could be next in line.
He didn’t dress against Minnesota, but the expectation is strong that he’ll get a sweater Saturday in Long Island. The question now is what the speedy young forward can bring when he gets the call.
One player who caught attention from the crowd side last night was Max Crozier. He was active all over the ice, stirred up trouble in front of the Wild net more than once, and seemed to get under Minnesota’s skin with his physical edge.
He also cleaned up several Lightning breakdowns by breaking up Wild chances before they could fully develop. Benjamin Pierce also wrote about Crozier and how his “hard-nosed” style lines up with what Jon Cooper wants from his defense.
Around the league, Macklin Celebrini missed his second straight game for the San Jose Sharks in St. Louis, though he’s been skating with the team and doesn’t appear to be out for long. San Jose looked flat in his first game on the shelf, getting blanked 5-0 by the Stars in Dallas, but bounced back with a 3-2 overtime comeback win over the Blues last night.
The injury news wasn’t any kinder in Florida. The Panthers already have Alexsander Barkov sidelined for 6-8 weeks, and then Brad Marchand went down with another ugly leg injury. The team hasn’t made anything official, but the reports say Marchand’s absence is expected to be “weeks, not months.”
And if the first week of the season is any indication, the NHL may be in for another wide-open scoring run. The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks combined for 27 goals across two games to open the season last week, and the pace has stayed high.
There was even a goalie goal from Igor Shesterkin against the Lightning in the first game of the year. Last season produced the league’s first under .900 save percentage in three decades, and early returns this year suggest scoring is up again while save percentages keep sliding.
In Other News...
Lightning Just Sent Dominic James On An Important Next Step
The Lightning have sent forward Dominic James to the Syracuse Crunch, giving him the next step in his return from a lost start to the season. James has previous experience with Tampa Bays AHL affiliate, and the move is designed to get him back into game action after a stretch away from competition.
James has not appeared for the Lightning this season after sustaining a hand fracture during offseason training, so the emphasis now shifts from recovery to repetition. Because he is exempt from waivers, Tampa Bay can manage the assignment more easily while the organization works to help him rebuild his form with the Crunch. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Close The Book On A Recent Roster Move With Dumba Done
The recent chapter involving Mathew Dumba has come to an end, with the veteran defensemans time around the league now turning into a career retrospective. Drafted seventh overall by Minnesota in 2012, Dumba logged 13 NHL seasons across Minnesota, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh, building a rsum that included 85 goals and 261 points in 748 games. For Lightning fans, he was one of the more notable deadline additions in a stretch where Tampa Bay was still trying to balance present-day depth with longer-term uncertainty on the blue line.
Dumbas path through the league wound through several contenders and rebuilds, and his brief stop in Tampa Bay fit the kind of all-in roster churn that often defines the trade deadline. The move gave the Lightning a veteran option for the stretch run, even if his time in Tampa was part of a much larger career that has now been formally closed by the NHLPA confirmation of his retirement. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Fans Just Got An Encouraging Early Sign In Minnesota
A quiet October test in Minnesota turned into a useful early road win for Tampa Bay, and John Carlson had a big hand in it. Carlson scored twice in a 3-2 victory over the Wild, while Anthony Cirelli also found the net for the Lightning in a game that gave the club a little bit of everything it wanted: timely scoring, a strong response after Minnesota pushed back and a chance to leave with points against a team that had not yet lost in regulation.
Dennis Hildeby also gave Tampa Bay a reason to feel better about its depth chart, making 34 saves in his Lightning debut to help hold off a late push. The result was enough to snap Minnesotas perfect start and give Tampa Bay an encouraging first look at how this group can survive on nights when the margin is thin. The bigger question now is whether the Lightning can build on this kind of effort once the schedule gets rolling for real. [Read more 🡒]