Thankful for a Comeback
By The Hockey Hottie on November 23, 2016
Tampa, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Philadelphia Flyers earlier tonight at the Amalie Arena. This was the one and only time this 2016-2017 season that the Flyers will make the trip to Tampa. Down 2-1 in the third to the Flyers the Lightning score two goals in a twelve second spam to gain a 3-2 lead.
The Bolts recently played the Flyers in Philadelphia this past Saturday in a matinee and the Lightning were victorious with a 32 save shut-out by Andrei Vasilevskiy 3-0. It was Vasilevskiy’s second consecutive shut-out as he blanked the Islanders in Brooklyn 4-0 on Monday the 14th. Vasilevskiy was tonight in the crease for the Lightning bring in his league leading .953 save percentage and 1.43 league leading goals against average.
Nikita Nesterov was the first Lighting player to give the Flyers a man advantage with a delay of game two minute minor. The Bolts killed it off rather effortlessly and the contest continued at 0-0.
It would be Claude Giroux with a two minute minor tripping penalty against Valterri Filppula, to put the Bolts on the power play at 9:49 in the first period. The Lightning had an excellent scoring chance, with Brayden Point standing his ground in front of Steve Mason. The puck slipped through Mason’s legs only to slide out just past the post wide. The score remained 0-0.
Dale Weise of the Flyers broke away and came flying down the ice flipping the puck at #1 ranked Bolt net-minder Andrei Vasilevskiy only to be stoned. What a save by #88, as the crowd roared with as growing crescendo as loud as can be. For Vasilevskiy his continues his stellar play.
There was a rumble behind the Lightning goal after that play, with only one penalty assessed. That penalty went to Nick Cousins for boarding Slater Koekkoek. The Bolts would get their second attempt at a power play goal.
The goal finally sounds late in the first with the Lightning on a power play with the Flyers being guilty of too many men on the ice. The Lighning worked the puck around keeping good zone time and with just three seconds left in the first twenty minutes a Victor Hedman slap shot found its way in the back of the net. Tyler Johnson would get an assist on the play, but Johnson proudly parked in front of Philly net-minder Steve Mason setting the perfect screen. The assists credited to Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. The Lightning get that backbreaking late period goal to go to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
It did not take the Flyers long into the second period to tie the game when Dale Weise scored at 6:06 with assist from Chris Vandevelde and Ivan Provorov. Say that three times fast.
Valterri Filppula lost the face off the Flyers had possession and fired the puck at Vasilevskiy and #88 stood his ground and the Bolts were able to stave off the Flyers one more time. The score remained 1-1. We were treated to a little four on four hockey with both teams having a man in the box as Wayne Simmons of the Flyers received a two minute goal-tender interferene minor. It was back and forth hockey momentarily with some really open ice and both goalies were tested and proven worth their weight. Back to even strength and the Lightning forwards were playing their game well as Killorn displayed a beautiful defensive back-checking play to save a Flyer goal.
Unfortunately the next Flyer face-off win led to a nice wrister goal by Ivan Provorov, his first goal of the season, his second point of the night at 19:05 in the second. The Flyers got the go ahead goal and now led 2-1. #24 Matt Reed feed a nice pass on the the tape of Provornov who ripped it past Vasilevskiy from the left circle.
The Flyers came out in the third period red hot, peppering Vasilevskiy.
A little scuffle behind the net resulted in a two minute minor for roughing against Jakub Voracek of Philadelphia and the Bolts once again on the man advantage and things were heating up on the ice. Another penalty for the Flyers as the Florida native Shayne Gotisbehere committed an interference minor. With a minute left on the power play Ivan Provorov took a slap shot to his right knee as he flogged around on the ice in pain he managed to crawl toward the net to tip the puck away from Steve Mason to save a goal for the Flyers. What an amazing display of intestinal fortitude by the young Provonov.
Valterri Flippula got robbed by Mason at about the ten minute mark with a wrister from the slot only about five feet from the crease. With 6:32 left in regulation, Alex Killorn fights off a backcheck and backhands a rebound off the back board to tie the game. The assist to Slater Keokkoek and Vlad Namestikov.
Lightning PA annoucer Paul Porter got out, “The Lightning goal…” and bedlem just :12 later as Ryan Callahan gives the Lightning the lead assisted by Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson. Lightning have the lead again for thr first time since there was 13:56 left in the second period.
With the clock ticking down and the Lightning fore-checkers pressuring, the Flyers are unable to pull Steve Mason for the extra skater. With 5 on 5 hockey, the Lightning get the proverbial icing, on the cake that is, when Valtteri Fillpula skates in on the right wing and feeds the puck smoothly to Nitkita Kucherov, who was waiting with textbook position stick down, for an insurance tip-in.
It’s Turkey and football time… HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Then back here Friday night for the John Tortorella homecoming and the Columbus Blue jackets.
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Tags: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brayden Point, Chris Vandevelde, Claude Giroux, Ivan Provorov, jon cooper, Nikita Nesterov, Nitkita Kucherov, slater koekkoek, Valterri Filppula, Valtteri Fillpula, victor hedman
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