In Tampa, Brian Elliott made 33 saves in his first win of the campaign, and the Lightning downed the New York Islanders, 5-3, on Saturday night.
Brayden Point got the Lighting offense started early with a goal for a 1-0 lead.
“We spent a lot of energy to win that game last night,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “Tonight I thought we were extremely opportunistic. You have to find a way to win when you’re not at your best, and the Islanders threw everything at us. [Elliott] was a wall for us back there.”
Matt Martin tied the game just past the midway point of the opening period.
“Although it was a loss tonight, there were some good things out there,” Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said. “I thought every line was going pretty good, so we’ll take the positives.”
Tampa reclaimed the lead off a goal from Brandon Hagel , 2-1.
“He’s been getting his chances, they just haven’t been going in,” Cooper said of Hagel, who didn’t have a point and was minus-2 through the Lightning’s first five games. “That’s why you’re fired up when they go in for him. He’s played well, he works, he retrieves pucks, he does all these things. He’s had his chances.”
Corey Perry. put the Bolts up 3-1 in the middle frame ahead of the Isles’ Anthony Beauvillier getting New York back within one.
Nicholas Paul played beat the clock when he scored with 0-1 seconds left in the second period for a 4-2 advantage to Tampa.
“I just knew there wasn’t a lot of time left,” Paul said. “I knew I had to get it on net in a good spot, so I went to the low blocker with .1 seconds to spare.”
Ryan Pulock scored in the sixth minute of the third period to pull the Isles within 4-3.
“Much better effort. (We) probably deserved better, but a step in the right direction,” Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck said. “We just made some big mistakes at some bad times.”
Alex Killorn gave the Lightning some breathing room with a goal in the 15th minute of the third for a 5-3 final.
“You start to think you’re never going to score again in the NHL,” Killorn said. “I wasn’t going to be denied. It was probably the hardest I’ve ever shot a puck.”
Illya Sorokin made 21 saves in the Isles loss.
“We had a couple of plays where we shot ourselves in the foot,” Martin said. “A couple of breakdowns that shouldn’t happen, and that costs. But overall, it was a good effort and a good game. If we play like that the rest of the year we’ll be where we want to be.”
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