Columbus Blue Jackets @ Tampa Bay Lightning: 1/10/23 Game Recap

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a fast and talented team to play; they don't have 2 Stanley Cups in the last 3 years for no reason.  Period 1 was dominated by them in Tampa tonight.  N. Kucherov would score goal 1 of this game at just 1:40 into the game.  Then, N. Paul would also get a puck past Elvis Merzlikins (on a Powerplay), giving his Lightning a second goal in the opening period at 9:05.  This 2-0 Lightning lead would hold through the rest of this period.  No, the Blue Jackets wouldn't score, but they would also prevent another score for over half a period.  

In the second period, we'd wait until 7:04 for another goal to be scored, but this time it would be our goal!  Correction: Gavin Bayreuther's goal.  Jack Roslovic would add assist number seventeen to his season, while Patrik Laine would add number eight to his.  The score would be 2-1, but alas, the Lightning would even out the goals scored this period, with one coming from V. Namestnikov at 10:25.  So, after two periods of hockey, it would be a 3-1 Lightning lead.  

I don't know about you, but scoring your first NHL Goal against the legendary Andrei Vasilevskiy would make it better.  Congratulations to Tim Berni on his first NHL Goal at 4:35 into Period 3.  The only assist on this goal would go to Patrik Laine, his ninth of the season and second in this game.  This would make the score a 3-2 Lightning lead, making the game within reach.  However, a delay of game call against Merzlikkins would give the Lightning a Powerplay, and they would score in seconds.  N. Kucherov would score again in this game, this time at 6:33, making the score 4-2.  The Blue Jackets would continue to push on both offense and defense, however, in a way, we have yet to see in many games (especially when down) this season.  Unfortunately, another Powerplay (from a Johnny Gaudreau penalty) would result in a goal from B. Point at 12:22, 5-2 Lightning lead.  Then, at 13:48, R. Colton would add another goal, making it 6-2 Lightning.  The Blue Jackets would score again this period, thanks to Kirill Marchenko, at 16:34.  Thanks to him the score would be 6-3, and this would be a goal all his own, no assists.  Sadly, that 6-3 Lightning lead would hold for the last few minutes of this game.  

Would Elvis Merzlikins like a second chance at a few of those goals?  Yes, I'm sure he would.  Tonight's defense was better, as was the offense, but there is still room for this team to improve in all areas of the game.  That being said, many of the veterans are still out, and that shows on nights like this when we play a powerhouse NHL Team, who is going back to the playoffs again, I'm sure.  Chalk this up to that and a young, rebuilding team.  

The next game for the Columbus Blue Jackets is at home on Thursday at 7:00 PM.  The Carolina Hurricanes will come back and be looking for revenge after their 4-3 Overtime loss, less than a week ago in the same arena.  We'll cheer on our CBJ and see if they can spoil their plans again.  

As always, if there are any injury updates between now and then, I'll post them to my social media pages.  

Go CBJ!