The depth of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been one of the biggest factors in their success this season. Thursday night was probably the perfect illustration of that. It wasn’t the top 2 lines for Tampa Bay that had the success. It was the 3rd line of Matthew Peca, Yanni Gourde, and Alex Killorn that led the way. Killorn had his best game of the season with 2 goals and 2 assists. Cory Conacher also scored twice in the final period to help the Bolts come from down 2 goals to defeat the Calgary Flames, 7-4.
The Lightning got a golden opportunity less than a minute into the game. Penalties within seconds of each other by the Flames gave the Bolts a 5-on-3 power play at the 36 second mark. Calgary was able to thwart any early damage thanks to their all star goaltender, Mike Smith. The Lightning penalty kill wouldn’t have the same success in their 1st go at it. Micheal Ferland made it a 1-0 game just over 7 minutes in with his 20th of the season. A hit on Steven Stamkos seemed to wake the Bolts up. They put the pressure on Smith and got a goal from an unlikely source. Braydon Coburn deflected in a Andrej Sustr shot. Smith had no chance and we were tied at a goal a piece.
Tampa Bay got another early power play chance to start the 2nd period. Smith made big time saves again, but this time he couldn’t keep it out of the net. Alex Killorn finished it off for his 6th goal of the year to give the Lightning their 1st lead of the night. That momentum was flipped rather quickly. The Flames scored 3 unanswered goals not long after. Mikael Backlund and Sean Monahan both scored in a 2-minute period to put Calgary right back in front. Matt Stajan added a goal of his own to give the Flames their 1st multi-goal lead of the night with less than 6 minutes remaining in the period. A young Bolt’s tenacity would prevent them from going to the final period down multiple goals though. Matthew Peca continued to make the best of his recent call-up by getting the puck past Smith less than 30 seconds after Stajan’s goal.
The momentum shift Peca created late in the 2nd period carried over to the 3rd. 12 seconds was all it took for that line to tie the game back up. It was Killorn’s 2nd of the night that knotted the game at 4. The unlikely scorers for Tampa Bay continued to strike. Cory Conacher got some extended ice time when Yanni Gourde was sent to the box for fighting. The young forward took advantage of it. He continued the success of the line with Peca and Killorn by scoring the go-ahead goal. Then it would be time for the stars to strike. Steven Stamkos scored his 19th goal of the season to put the Lightning in front by 2. That 6th goal led to Calgary pulling Mike Smith out of the net. The goalie switch wasn’t the magical elixir the Flames were looking for. Before we reached the halfway mark of the period, Conacher added another goal to put the game out of reach at, 7-4.
The Bolts continue their stroll through Western Canada on Saturday night. The Lightning will be in British Columbia to face the Vancouver Canucks. It will be another edition of late night with the Bolts. The puck is scheduled to drop at 10 pm with pregame coverage beginning at 9:30 on News Radio 970 WFLA.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. CGY - PPG - Ferland - (Backlund, Hamilton) - 7:16
2. TBL - Coburn - (Sustr, Peca) - 13:34
2ND PERIOD
1. TBL - PPG - Killorn - (Gourde, Point) - 2:04
2. CGY - Backlund - (Tkachuk, Brodie) - 3:38
3. CGY - Monahan - (Gaudreau, Hamilton) - 5:25
4. CGY - Stajan - (Hathaway, Brodie) - 14:27
5. TBL - Peca - (Killorn, Stralman) - 14:49
3RD PERIOD
1. TBL - Killorn - (Gourde) - 0:12
2. TBL - Conacher - (Peca, Killorn) - 5:16
3. TBL - Stamkos - (Kunitz) - 6:22
4. TBL - Conacher - (Unassisted) - 8:26
PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. CGY - Bennett - (High Sticking) - 0:26
2. CGY - Hamonic - (Delay of Game) - 0:36
3. TBL - Stralman - (Hooking) - 6:02
4. TBL - Dotchin - (Fighting) - 9:39
5. CGY - Tkachuk - (Fighting) - 9:39
2ND PERIOD
1. CGY - Backlund - (Boarding) - 1:36
3RD PERIOD
1. CGY - Hatthaway - (Fighting) - 1:03
2. TBL - Killorn - (Fighting) - 1:03
3. TBL - Kunitz - (Delay of Game) - 13:52
4. CGY - Giordano - (Holding) - 16:53
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tampa Bay - 31
Calgary - 46