Lightning Dominate Blue Jackets in Conference Matchup

The Tampa Bay Lightning took down the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night 6-2. The South Florida squad was powered by Jake Guentzel and Victor Hedman, who both had a pair of goals. The win is the ninth in the Bolts’ last 10 games, propelling them to seventh in the NHL standings.

The Lightning (36-21-4) came into Tuesday’s contest fresh off of a tight 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers. The reigning Stanley Cup champions put a stop to the Bolts’ previous eight-game winning streak, leading Tampa Bay to right the ship over the Blue Jackets (30-23-8).

Dominating on the Ice

The game started off hot, with Tampa’s Mitchell Chaffee kicking off the scoring just 30 seconds after the opening puck drop. Nikita Kucherov did not wait much longer to score a goal of his own 1:37 into the first frame. The period was not over until Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski got the Blue Jackets on the board with his first of the game.

The quick-start Lightning were right back at it in the second period. Center Jake Guentzel notched his first score of the contest 1:27 into the frame. The Bolts extended their lead to 4-1 after Victor Hedman joined the scoring party. Hedman’s 10th goal of the season was assisted by Kucherov, who picked up his 61st on the year. The right wing would later earn another “apple” on Hedman’s second goal, putting him at 62 and second in league assist leaders. Just like in the first, Werenksi closed out the period with a goal, keeping the Blue Jackets within two.

The final frame remained competitive until Hedman put the puck in the net for the second time of the night, thanks to a power play and the sticks of Brayden Point and Kucherov.  The three-goal deficit was too much for the 14th-overall Blue Jackets. The team allowed Guentzel to get on the board once again, lighting the lamp on an empty netter.

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Historically High Scoring

Tuesday was the teams’ third time facing off this season, all being high-scoring affairs. They last met in Tampa with the Blue Jackets falling 5-3, but the previous matchup filled the scoresheet. The November 11 contest in Columbus featured 13 total goals with the Lightning coming up short, 7-6.

Up Next

The Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres at Amalie Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. Puck drop can be seen on ESPN.