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TAMPA — Milestone nights are never guaranteed to have a happy ending, but the Lightning were definitely determined to make defenseman Ryan McDonagh’s 1,000th NHL game special.
And while Mikhail Sergachev could feel the support from Lightning fans in his first game at Amalie Arena since the June trade that sent him to Utah, his night was derailed by being on the wrong side of a lopsided loss.
The Lightning (42-25-5) tied their season high in goals and had their largest margin of victory in Thursday’s 8-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club. And while they have outscored opponents 14-1 over the past two games, the key to their success has been a renewed emphasis on protecting their own net.
“It just goes to show, it really matters the way you play in your own end,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It does have an effect on how you play. ... We’re doing the right things. But the big thing is how we’re playing without the puck and inside the dots. And when we’re limiting teams the way we have the last couple of games, this is the byproduct of that.”
Nikita Kucherov’s four-point night gave him 105 on the season, trailing Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon by two points for the NHL lead. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 25 shots for his sixth shutout of the season, tying Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck for the league lead.
“You look at our wins and the goals against are low numbers,” said Lighting center Brayden Point, whose line scored three goals, including the 300th of Point’s career. “You look at our losses and they’re high. It’s been a big focus for us, especially as we make our push to the playoffs here.”
If there’s one player who epitomizes the way the Lightning want to play defensively, it’s McDonagh. And Tampa Bay wanted to write a memorable script for his 1,000th game.
“We all want to show up for your buddy who’s hitting a milestone like this,” Lightning captain Victor Hedman said.
The Lightning made it a special night for McDonagh with some surprise guests. McDonagh’s three children — Falan, Murphy and Nola — came into the Lightning dressing room before the game to announce the starting lineup, and McDonagh’s father, Sean, presented a game puck to his son following a two-assist game.
Just 90 seconds in, McDonagh was on the scoresheet, getting the secondary assist on the first of Jake Guentzel’s two goals on the night. Hedman put the Lightning up by two at the 4:20 mark in the first period. The Lightning never looked back from there.
The Lightning stuck to a simple game plan of extending offensive zone time with strong puck retrieval, and when Utah did possess the puck, they protected the middle of the ice in the defensive zone. The Lightning blocked 23 shots as a team, something they lacked five days ago in the teams’ first meeting, a 6-4 Utah win in Salt Lake City.
“Just the effort the guys had, all throughout the lineup, all throughout the whole game, from start to finish, doing the little things, blocking shots, taking hits to make plays, finishing on our chances,” said McDonagh, who leads all NHL defensemen with a plus-39 ratio.
“We’re capable of some special things when we’re committed like that. You remember your first game and you remember your 1,000th game. A big win like that helps for sure.”
Fans packed the boards for pregame warmups Thursday night to welcome back Sergachev, pressing signs up against the glass. Sergachev received a huge ovation when his name was announced to participate in the ceremonial puck drop before the game, and at center ice, his bro hug with longtime mentor Hedman was anything but ordinary.
During a first-period break in play, Sergachev intensely watched a tribute video package and went over the boards and skated a lap, lifting his stick to acknowledge the Amalie Arena crowd, tapping his heart with his left hand, then pointing to the Lightning bench with his stick to acknowledge them.
“Sergy always just seems like a young kid to me, and the fact he’s played seven or eight years here, it’s mind boggling to me,” Cooper said. “But he’s got his fingerprints all over our Stanley Cups and the growth and progression of this organization. He should be extremely proud.”
The night didn’t end well for Sergachev with a minus-3 ratio and a loss that dropped Utah 10 points back of the final playoff spot in the west with 10 games left.
“It’s tough to talk about it honestly after a game like that,” Sergachev said of the reception. “But I really appreciate it, and it was great. Thanks for the warm reception. The fans are great. Everybody’s great. That was supposed to be a special night.”
vs. Islanders, 2 Saturday, Amalie Arena TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 102.5-FM
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And while Mikhail Sergachev could feel the support from Lightning fans in his first game at Amalie Arena since the June trade that sent him to Utah, his night was derailed by being on the wrong side of a lopsided loss.
The Lightning (42-25-5) tied their season high in goals and had their largest margin of victory in Thursday’s 8-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club. And while they have outscored opponents 14-1 over the past two games, the key to their success has been a renewed emphasis on protecting their own net.
“It just goes to show, it really matters the way you play in your own end,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It does have an effect on how you play. ... We’re doing the right things. But the big thing is how we’re playing without the puck and inside the dots. And when we’re limiting teams the way we have the last couple of games, this is the byproduct of that.”
Nikita Kucherov’s four-point night gave him 105 on the season, trailing Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon by two points for the NHL lead. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 25 shots for his sixth shutout of the season, tying Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck for the league lead.
“You look at our wins and the goals against are low numbers,” said Lighting center Brayden Point, whose line scored three goals, including the 300th of Point’s career. “You look at our losses and they’re high. It’s been a big focus for us, especially as we make our push to the playoffs here.”
Winning big for Mac
If there’s one player who epitomizes the way the Lightning want to play defensively, it’s McDonagh. And Tampa Bay wanted to write a memorable script for his 1,000th game.
“We all want to show up for your buddy who’s hitting a milestone like this,” Lightning captain Victor Hedman said.
The Lightning made it a special night for McDonagh with some surprise guests. McDonagh’s three children — Falan, Murphy and Nola — came into the Lightning dressing room before the game to announce the starting lineup, and McDonagh’s father, Sean, presented a game puck to his son following a two-assist game.
Just 90 seconds in, McDonagh was on the scoresheet, getting the secondary assist on the first of Jake Guentzel’s two goals on the night. Hedman put the Lightning up by two at the 4:20 mark in the first period. The Lightning never looked back from there.
The Lightning stuck to a simple game plan of extending offensive zone time with strong puck retrieval, and when Utah did possess the puck, they protected the middle of the ice in the defensive zone. The Lightning blocked 23 shots as a team, something they lacked five days ago in the teams’ first meeting, a 6-4 Utah win in Salt Lake City.
“Just the effort the guys had, all throughout the lineup, all throughout the whole game, from start to finish, doing the little things, blocking shots, taking hits to make plays, finishing on our chances,” said McDonagh, who leads all NHL defensemen with a plus-39 ratio.
“We’re capable of some special things when we’re committed like that. You remember your first game and you remember your 1,000th game. A big win like that helps for sure.”
Sour ending for Sergachev
Fans packed the boards for pregame warmups Thursday night to welcome back Sergachev, pressing signs up against the glass. Sergachev received a huge ovation when his name was announced to participate in the ceremonial puck drop before the game, and at center ice, his bro hug with longtime mentor Hedman was anything but ordinary.
During a first-period break in play, Sergachev intensely watched a tribute video package and went over the boards and skated a lap, lifting his stick to acknowledge the Amalie Arena crowd, tapping his heart with his left hand, then pointing to the Lightning bench with his stick to acknowledge them.
“Sergy always just seems like a young kid to me, and the fact he’s played seven or eight years here, it’s mind boggling to me,” Cooper said. “But he’s got his fingerprints all over our Stanley Cups and the growth and progression of this organization. He should be extremely proud.”
The night didn’t end well for Sergachev with a minus-3 ratio and a loss that dropped Utah 10 points back of the final playoff spot in the west with 10 games left.
“It’s tough to talk about it honestly after a game like that,” Sergachev said of the reception. “But I really appreciate it, and it was great. Thanks for the warm reception. The fans are great. Everybody’s great. That was supposed to be a special night.”
Up next
vs. Islanders, 2 Saturday, Amalie Arena TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 102.5-FM
• • •
Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.
Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.
Continue reading...
