Lightning-Hurricanes Game 2 Report Sheet: Nothing to Say

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After shooting 38 shots on goal in a Game 1 loss, the Hurricanes opened Game 2 by talking about the need to make things more difficult for Andrei Vasilevskiy by placing bodies in front of the Lightning goalie.

Instead, they made them easier with an extremely inaccurate display of the shot.

With his poise, patience and positioning, Vasilevskiy could be the toughest goalie in the league to score against, especially in the playoffs. He’s improving the more he’s busy, as evidenced by his 68 saves on 70 shots in the last two games.

Carolina therefore tried to beat him with a high volume of shots and entering his field of vision. But all the shots in the world don’t matter if you don’t get them on the net. Of the Hurricanes’ 65 shots, less than half (32) caught Vasilevskiy’s attention.

And as the Lightning’s Alex Killorn has shown, even a seemingly harmless long-range shot has a chance to get in if it’s accurate. This is how a Lightning team that was outscored 32-15 managed to secure a 2-1 victory and a two-game lead in the second round series.

Admittedly, the Lightning did a good job shutting down their midfield and forcing the Hurricanes to look for their away scoring opportunities, usually out of the race. Carolina had several promising chances but too often missed the net.

Teuvo Teravainen shot away from the left circle several times in the first half. Dougie Hamilton missed a 2-1 and Sebastian Aho shot high. The Hurricanes’ best luck might have been when a shot from Vincent Trocheck from the left circle hit Vasilevskiy in the face mask.

Martin Necas missed the game with Vasilevskiy on the ice in a 2v1 in the second period. An unbalanced Aho shot away from the slot on a power play early in the third period, and Aho sent the puck back through the crease on a backdoor opportunity with the net empty in the dying minutes.

Of course, the Lightning had something to do with Carolina’s shooting woes, with 16 blocks. Ryan McDonagh broke a pass on a 3-on-2. Mikhail Sergachev got a stick on a pass from Andrei Svechnikov to Jordan Staal, who crashed into the net, and Sergachev blocked a shot from Cedric Paquette on a 3-on-2.

While the Hurricanes did a good job putting pressure on the Lightning and limiting their scoring chances, all that mattered in the end was that Tampa found the back of the net once more than Carolina.

To note: A

Here’s how we rated the rest of the Lightning’s performance in their Game 2 victory.

Difference maker

Lightning left winger Alex Killorn celebrates his goal with his teammates on the bench in the second period.
Lightning left winger Alex Killorn celebrates his goal with his teammates on the bench in the second period. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

Killorn was the most efficient skater on the ice for the Lightning, followed closely by teammate Anthony Cirelli. So it shouldn’t be a coincidence that they scored both Tampa Bay goals.

With all the firepower of Tampa Bay’s first two lines, it’s easy to overlook Killorn. But he wreaks havoc all over the ice, forces turnovers and generates scoring chances, both in 5v5 play and power play.

His second period goal was an example of Killorn doing something out of thin air, as he whipped a seemingly harmless shot to the net just inside the blue line. Cirelli took the eyes of goalkeeper Alex Nedeljkovic with a screen in front, and Killorn’s shot beat Nedeljkovic on the glove side.

Rightly so, it was Killorn’s blood on the ice that caused play to be stalled after Cirelli’s goal in the third period. He was so involved.

To note: One more

Powerless

After hitting just one shot on two power play chances in Game 1, the Lightning was held in a no-shoot check on their two power play chances on Tuesday – and nearly allowed a shorthanded goal.

As they did in Game 1, the Hurricanes lobbied Tampa Bay all over the ice, often sending two skaters at the puck carrier and forcing him to get rid of them quickly. The Lightning hoped that if they could get through the first wave of pressure, they could create some weird opportunities, but they couldn’t.

Their best chance came with a cross to Killorn with Aho in the box for slashing Ondrej Palat in the second half. But the puck slipped out of Killorn’s bat and slipped harmlessly out of the crease.

To note: D, for stunned

Art splash

With the tight hitting making it difficult for either team to generate scoring chances, there wasn’t much art in the game. But Cirelli broke the monotony with a sublime goal in the middle. – course of the third period.

Receiving a pass from Hedman near the center of the ice who was a little behind him, Cirelli played the puck away from Brady Skjei, then edged the Carolina defenseman to the net before beating Nedeljkovic on the stick side with a nice shot from the backhand.

What seemed like an insurance goal at the time turned out to be the winner.

To note: A

So close

Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta, who hasn’t scored a goal in the regular season and has never scored in the playoffs, had a golden opportunity late in the second period.

After a pass from corner Barclay Goodrow, Rutta found himself with the puck on his stick all by himself at the top of the lunge. But with no traffic in front, Nedeljkovic came out of the net to challenge Rutta, and his shot went high off the crossbar over the net.

It would have been a nice stop for Rutta, who played over 19 minutes in Game 1 with the five-defenseman Lightning, but it wasn’t.

To note: D, for disappointing

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