The Lightning entered Saturday’s game against the Capitals having allowed 19 goals over their previous four games. And against a stingy Washington team, Tampa Bay knew that offense would be at a premium.
But the Lightning held their own defensively, recording their first shutout win of the season, 3-0, behind goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 32 saves.
The Lightning (5-3-0) built on a one-goal lead entering the third period, adding a pair of goals in the first 3 minutes, 10 seconds, capped by rookie Conor Geekie’s first NHL goal.
The Lightning held the Capitals (5-2-0) to just four 5-on-5 shots on goal in the period, consistently taking away passing lanes after Washington outshot the Lightning 17-8 in a bend-but-don’t-break second period for Tampa Bay.
One game after Lightning coach Jon Cooper was frustrated by the way his team coughed up a late second-period lead Thursday against Minnesota, he saw it take control down the stretch. The Lightning are now 3-0-0 when leading going into the third period.
“Those two quick ones early kind of popped their balloon,” Cooper said. “So, how they felt on their bench is kind of how I felt the other night against Minny. To have a lead in the third period is big, and more often than not you should be able to hold on to those, and fortunately we did that (Saturday).”
Chaffee gets Lightning going
In most of their losses this season, the Lightning had to chase early deficits But on Saturday, they took the lead with a boost from the third line, which might have been their best in terms of sustaining possession in the offensive zone.
After center Nick Paul brought the puck out of the right corner and skated to the top of the left circle, he took a pass from Mikey Eyssimont and rifled a slap shot that Mitchell Chaffee tipped past goaltender Charlie Lindgren from inside the paint for his second goal of the season.
“A big part of it is kind of always screening the goalie,” Chaffee said. “You try and skate by him while also trying to get a tip on it. And it was a great shot. You’ve got to get in front of the goalie, and it hit my stick and luckily it went in. But it was big. I thought our line did really well (Saturday).”
Geekie’s first goal is a big one
The Lightning have done everything to put the 20-year-old Geekie in a position to succeed since he earned a roster spot coming out of training camp. And in his third game as a top-six forward (eighth overall), Geekie scored his first NHL goal 3:10 into the third period.
Geekie’s ascension has been quick, but he’s shown he belongs on the matchup line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. He hounds the puck, plays a physical game and is a pain to play against. Playing on the right wing has taken some pressure off him after he had served in a third-line center role.
His goal came as a result of the relentless forechecking the Cirelli line is known for. After Brayden Point put the Lightning up 2-0 with a goal 2:26 into the third, Geekie fired a slap shot from the left hashmark off a feed from Cirelli at the left faceoff dot. Geekie’s shot sailed over Lindgren’s left pad inside the far post. Hagel quickly retrieved the puck out of the back of the net.
“They both play so hard,” Geekie said of his linemates. “They make it easy on you. I’m definitely starting to get used to the guys outside the rink and stuff like that. So, it makes it a lot easier to come to the rink every day when you’re playing with those two.”
Vasilevskiy solid but not satisfied
Despite recording his franchise-record 35th career shutout, Vasilevskiy said he believed the Lightning did a better job closing out their 4-1, season-opening win Oct. 11 at Carolina. Though they allowed only seven shots on goal in the third period Saturday, they had to overcome multiple turnovers and Vasilevskiy nearly yielded a shorthanded goal.
“Just not a great scene,” Vasilevskiy said, “especially for me.”
But the Lightning consistently got sticks into passing lanes and limited scoring chances against a Capitals team pushing hard to the end. Defenseman J.J. Moser broke up a pass on a 2-on-1 breakaway, preventing a one-timer opportunity for Trevor Van Riemsdyk in front of the net.
And when Alexander Ovechkin bore down on Vasilevskiy in the slot, Chaffee made a backcheck that prevented Ovechkin from getting a shot off and avoiding another high-danger scoring chance.
