Stingy Lightning intent on limiting scoring chances for Blackhawks
Stinginess has been the key for the Tampa Bay Lightning during much of their 14-game point streak.
Tampa Bay has yielded two goals or fewer through regulation and overtime in seven straight games entering their visit to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
Now, the Lightning tote fresh legs, to boot, after a few days off since they continued the trend with a 4-1 home victory against San Jose on Tuesday.
"Those are playoff-type of games," Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel said, "and being able to protect one-goal leads and only giving up one goal a game or two goals a game, you've got a pretty good chance at winning."
Naturally, talk of limiting an opponent's attack brings focus to goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and backup Jonas Johansson.
Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of 23 shots Tuesday while Johansson has won each of his three starts during the point streak, the most recent a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on Jan. 12.
"Our goaltending has given us an opportunity to just give up one," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Tampa Bay's aggressiveness and persistence in front of its goalies has been crucial, as well. The line of Yanni Gourde, Zemgus Girgensons and Pontus Holmberg stifled San Jose's Macklin Celebrini on Tuesday, holding the Sharks star without a point in successive games for the second time this season.
"Those three guys are, they're a menace," Cooper said. "Every game, it feels like their chemistry gets more and more, like they're just united as a group."
Chicago will skate in the second leg of a back-to-back after defeating the host Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday night.
Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore celebrated his 21st birthday by netting the game-winning goal as he scored in the sixth round of a shootout.
Things weren't all bright for Moore on his big day, however, as Hurricanes rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin made quick work of him in a fight during the second period.
"He's a big boy," Moore said. "I actually talked to him a little bit. He said it was his first fight. Can't buy that."
Coming off a shutout victory on Monday against Winnipeg, Spencer Knight stopped 28 shots in regulation and overtime while turning aside five shots in the shootout.
Nick Lardis, Ilya Mikheyev and Connor Murphy scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, who welcomed the return of second-line center Frank Nazar. Nazar registered four shots on goal in 18:30 of his time in his first action since Dec. 20. He missed the past 14 games with an upper-body injury.
Nazar's return coincides with a busy stretch for the Blackhawks, who are scheduled to host the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Sunday after meeting perennial contender Tampa Bay.
"I love coming to the rink every night with this team and seeing what type of growth or steps forward or steps back that we take," Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. "That's the reality of where we're at."
Chicago is aiming to sweep the season series after edging host Tampa Bay 3-2 on Oct. 23 behind two goals from Ryan Donato.
Hagel has earned 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) over his past 10 games.