Radio broadcaster Dave Mishkin recaps Tampa Bay's loss to Florida in Game 2
The most crucial stretch of Game Two came in the first five minutes. The Lightning missed two open nets and failed to score on a power play. Then, on the shift after the power play ended, the Lightning iced the puck. The Panthers won the ensuing offensive-zone faceoff, and Nate Schmidt finished a right-point one-timer at 4:15. Schmidt fired his shot across the grain, beating Andrei Vasilevskiy inside the far side post.
For the final 55-plus minutes, both teams defended tightly. They limited scoring chances and excelled during shorthanded situations. Unfortunately for the Lightning, they were the team chasing, and they never managed to tie the game.
The Lightning improved on many of their Game One problem areas. They handed the Florida forecheck effectively. They closed off the middle of the ice in front of their net. They won their fair share of puck battles. And their penalty kill, which allowed three goals on three chances in Game One, went 3-3 in Game Two. The third of those kills was a major penalty that lasted 4:18.
Still, the Lightning didn’t get the result and are now in a big hole. They’ll need a win on Saturday in Game Three to avoid falling into a 3-0 series deficit.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
