Lightning regroup, but fall to Bruins in Boston

BOSTON — There have been no ethical victories claimed within the Lightning locker room following their 3-1 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday night time at TD Backyard.

Sure, the Lightning performed much better than they did within the groups’ first assembly eight days in the past in Tampa. And the Bruins have been unbeatable on residence ice this 12 months, however the Lightning felt they deserved a greater end result.

After the loss, gamers replayed the little particulars gone mistaken. Ahead Brandon Hagel sat at his stall, questioning how the sport would have performed out had he buried a shorthanded breakaway behind the web as a substitute of crusing it large within the third interval of a tied sport.

“That might’ve modified the sport in so many various methods,” Hagel stated. “That one’s going to harm for some time.”

A Lightning workforce with a penchant for committing penalties took only one Tuesday night time, however a Bruins power-play unit ranked second within the league made them pay.

Hagel blocked three pictures on that penalty kill, and he intercepted a cross in his personal finish, pushed it ahead and outraced Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy to it within the offensive zone, making a partial breakaway likelihood for himself that he flung large of the far submit.

Simply 32 seconds later, the Bruins cashed in on the opposite finish. Taylor Corridor scored his second aim of the night time, discovering a comfortable spot within the slot and the puck on his stick after Nick Foligno drew Andrei Vasilevskiy out of the crease and made a cross from behind the web and thru Vasilevskiy’s legs to Corridor for the profitable aim on the 2:49 mark within the third.

“It’s most likely a bit of little bit of a optimistic that it’s a greater exhibiting perhaps than we did at residence,” stated Lightning coach Jon Cooper, referring to a lopsided 5-3 loss Nov. 21. “However in the long run we didn’t get it carried out. Tie sport within the third interval and also you are available in right here and wish to commit penalties in opposition to Boston and may’t kill off one penalty. Disgrace on us.”

Within the first assembly between the groups, Boston (19-3-0) opened up the sport with a three-goal second interval. On Tuesday night time, the Lightning’s second interval may need been considered one of their greatest 20 minutes of the season as they tilted the ice of their favor following Steven Stamkos’ power-play aim, which tied the rating with 1:40 left within the second.

“We performed properly, we had them on their heels and it received us again within the sport,” Cooper stated of the second interval. “We deserved to win that interval and we did. However that’s not the place the sport ended. Going back-to-back, it’s robust to come back in right here. They’re a rested workforce and we received to grind one out within the third, however we simply didn’t have that push we had within the second.”

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Regardless of getting back from two targets down late within the third interval to win in time beyond regulation the night time earlier than in Buffalo, the Lightning (13-8-1) felt they have been fortunate to get two factors from the Sabres. They performed a lot better Tuesday night time, however left empty-handed.

Via the primary quarter of the season, the Bruins have emerged because the cream of the NHL crop. They’ve gained 19 of their first 22 video games, and are 13-0-0 at residence. The primary assembly between the groups was a type of wake-up name for the Lightning, they usually have been wanting ahead to the rematch.

“I believe these are those you circle,” ahead Ross Colton stated. “These are those you wish to measure up in opposition to and for probably the most half, I believed we performed rather well. We’ve received to discover a method to get to the entrance of the web and rating extra targets. However we had some high quality possibilities. We might have put just a few in there.”

The Lightning truly outshot the Bruins 10-6 within the third interval. Ahead Corey Perry had top-of-the-line scoring alternatives of the night time when Brayden Level put the potential tying aim on his keep on with 6:51 left in regulation however Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman kicked out his proper pad to cease Perry’s snap shot.

The Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy for an additional attacker with 1:18 left, however Brad Marchand scored an empty-net aim with 47 seconds remaining to pad the lead.

The Lightning’s core group has been via the wars in opposition to the Bruins — in each the common season and within the playoffs — and for a number of the workforce’s youthful gamers who haven’t seen them as a lot, like Hagel, they will’t look forward to the following assembly (Jan. 26 in Tampa).

“For positive, I believe we would like one other likelihood at this,” Hagel stated.

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