In Tampa, the Lightning took a 3-1 lead after the first period, over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
Sharks goalie Kaapo Kahkonen gets in position for a shot – Photo by Jack Lima
From there, Tampa eased off on the pedal and let the Sharks rally for a 4-3 win in extra time.
“I thought we came out and dictated play and did what we wanted to do for 20 minutes,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Then special teams took over, and we lost the special teams game.”
Timo Meier collected a double in the game for San Jose, including the game-winner midway through the extra session.
“I thought we did a good job changing and holding on to the puck,” Meier said. “We made a change with the puck, and I tried to pick a little for Erik. He did what he does best, find guys backdoor, and I just had to tap it in.”
San Jose Moved to 16-25-11.
“I thought we were really on our heels in the first,” San Jose coach David Quinn said. “They played last night. We got better as the game went on. The penalties really put us in a hole. [Kahkonen] made the saves he needed to. Just really happy for him, because he’s playing really well, and it’s good to see us take advantage of it.”
Kaapo Kahkonen made 34 saves in the Sharks win.
The Lightning lost on Monday, 7-1, to the Florida Panthers.
“We’ve talked about what makes us tick and what makes us play well,” Lightning forward Corey Perry said. “We’ve got to get back to the predictable and play together because good things happen. Last night you can wash that one away, but tonight you’ve got to find a way to put a team away and have that killer instinct.”
The Lightning took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a strike from Ross Colton/
The Sharks replied with a goal from Erik Karlsson.
Tampa dropped to 32-16-2.
“I liked our game in the first, and we kind of got away from it in the second,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. “This one stings.”
Brayden Point hit for a pair of goal to give Tampa a 3-1 advantage heading to the middle frame.
Meier closed the gap to 3-2 in second with his first of the game.
The sharks’ Jonah Gadjovich tied the game, 3-3, at 3:08 of the third period.
“It feels good to come back and tie the game, get the point and finish it off in overtime,” San Jose’s Scott Harrington said. “We’ve had some poor luck in overtime in the past, so winning the first game after the break feels great. We want to build off this feeling.”
Brian Elliott made 18 saves in the Lightning loss.
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