The Tampa Bay Lightning have bounced back nicely from their longest losing streak of the young season.
Meanwhile, it’s been nearly a month since the Columbus Blue Jackets won back-to-back games.
After losing four straight, the Lightning will aim to notch their fourth straight win when they visit the Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Tampa Bay opened November on an 0-3-1 slide, but has since outscored opponents 11-3 during its current three-game winning streak.
On Tuesday at Pittsburgh, the Lightning trailed 2-0 after two periods, but Brayden Point scored twice, including 3:58 into overtime, for a 3-2 Tampa Bay victory that snapped its three-game road skid.
“I think it just shows what we need to be successful,” said Point, who returned Tuesday after missing four games with a lower-body injury.
“I think that third period is how we’re going to have to win games … Just good defending and working our chances.”
Anthony Cirelli also scored for a third consecutive game and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 of 19 shots faced. Vasilevskiy has stymied 99 of 103 attempts over his last four starts (3-0-1).
Meanwhile, Point has 10 goals with 15 points in the 13 games he’s played this season.
“He’s got an engine, that kid. He’s got a nose for the net,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re obviously a much better team when Point is in the lineup.”
Tampa Bay has won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Columbus, with Point scoring three times in the last five contests between the teams.
Vasilevskiy has a 2.37 goals-against average and .914 save percentage during his eight-game starting winning streak against the Blue Jackets. However, Lightning backup Jonas Johansson has allowed five goals in each of his two starts versus Columbus.
Like Tampa Bay, the Blue Jackets opened November in rough fashion, going 0-5-1 before winning two of the last three. Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves and five different players scored during Columbus’ 5-1 win at Boston on Monday — which paved the way for the Bruins to fire coach Jim Montgomery.
The Blue Jackets have won two straight games only once this season (Oct. 28 and 30), though there seemed plenty to build on from Monday’s win.
“We can now reinforce a lot of stuff that we did in (Monday’s) game,” Columbus coach Dean Evason said. “But, it has to be consistent. Hopefully, that propels us forward to do the right things.”
Merzlikins has stopped 49 of 52 shots to win his last two starts after posting a 3.99 goals-against average while going 0-3-1 in the previous four. He has a 2.21 GAA and .929 save percentage while going 3-1-1 as starter at home against the Lightning during his career.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets’ Daniil Tarasov has a 4.78 GAA during his current 0-3-1 starting rut this season.
Columbus’ Kirill Marchenko has a team-leading 16 points but produced just one in the last four games. However, the Blue Jackets’ young star owns five goals with one assist in five career games versus Tampa Bay.
–Field Level Media
