TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored two goals and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had 28 saves and the Bolts ascended the throne in a 3-0 win over the LA Kings at Amalie Arena on Thursday.
The Lightning stepped up on defense and played majestically after losing four of five games in a tough January as the Lightning played 16 games in 31 days.
“We have played 14 games in 24 days in three different time zones ten on the road,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “I would say fatigue probably did part of it. I did like the way we were playing.”
The stacked schedule has played a key role in the Bolts only connecting on 41 goals in these 16 games in January as the goals per game has fallen to 3.54 per night.
“We started scoring more than expected and now, we are scoring way below expected,” said Coach Jon Cooper. “For most of the game, our defensive game was fairly solid and at some point, this (lack of offense) can’t keep going on.”
Hagel explained how the frustration resulted as the scoring for the Lightning has been a tough chore throughout January.
“It’s in the back of your head, this has been going on for a bit where chances are there,” Hagel said. “Earlier this year, they were going in, but now they are not. It shows a lot of grit for sticking with it and putting a lot frustration behind you and to just continue.”
Vasilevskiy demonstrated why he is still regarded as the top goalie in posting his 37th career shutout and third shutout of the season with some key stops throughout the evening. Cooper said that Thursday’s game was the first time Vasilevskiy had been able to touch the ice in four days due to illness.
“I had a pretty good morning skate,” said Vasilevskiy. “Unfortunately, there was no time to think too much about being sick or not, so just went out and played. Guys played well defensively.”
Forward Brandon Hagel stepped up with a pair of markers that resulted in his 21st and 22nd goals of the season.
He gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 4:45 in the first period when he scored on a breakaway with a crossover where he slid the puck from left to right and went under Kings forward Jordan Spence’s stick. He went five-hole on Kings backup goalie David Rittich for the 1-0 advantage.
Vasilevskiy was credited with the assist as he defended the puck to push it outside to Gage Goncalves, who found Hagel for the score.
“Goncalves made a great pass, backhanded across the ice and Hagel did the rest,” said forward Nick Paul. “His deception and change of speed was really great there.”
The turning point came about eight minutes into the second period when a goal by Los Angeles forward Quinton Byfield was erased.
Byfield had taken the puck from defenseman Jacob Moverare, who had just come out of the penalty box. Moverare received the pass as he was just beyond the blue line. Byfield’s goal was disallowed as the referees looked at the replay and ruled Moverare offsides.
“Clearly, a big point in the game was when the challenge was positive for us,” noted Cooper. “Who knows what would have happened if the game was tied?”
Hagel added to the lead at 15:39 in the third. He scored on a rebound when he followed Nikita Kucherov and gave the Bolts a 2-0 lead.
Kucherov had skated towards a breakaway opportunity off of the face-off as he took a pass from Hagel. Then, Kucherov tripped over LA goalie David Rittich’s glove but pushed forward a shot. Hagel followed with the 2-0 lead off of the rebound.
Anthony Cirelli ended the evening with a goal off the power play that gave Tampa Bay the 3-0 win.
“The big thing for our team – we felt we could be up more than just one after two so it was how we were going to play in the third,” noted Cooper. “We didn’t think we needed to change anything. “
LA goalie Darcy Kuemper had the night off as the Kings were playing in their fourth game of a five-game swing into the midwest and then the east. Rittich had several solid stops that kept the Kings within reach and was the third star of the game behind Vasilevskiy and Hagel.
“Again, I think I have given the same press conference for the last couple of weeks,” Cooper said. “It’s been tough bc we have given ourselves a ton of chances and it just hasn’t been going in for us.’
