TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Lightning Forward Nick Paul had a goal and two assists, and the Bolts took their fifth win in the last six games with a 5-3 sequestering of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday evening.
The win wasn’t without tense moments as the Blue Jackets scored three goals in the third period to tighten the Bolts’ lead to 4-3. Brayden Point solidified the win with an empty-net goal at 17:51 in the third period.
It consummated into a character-building effort in which the Lightning stayed the course in being in position to win.
“We have a really good group,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “Is anybody in there pouting that we gave up too many in the third? Of course not.”
Paul gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead at 1:28 in the second period and fed assists to Jake Guentzel and Mitchell Chaffee to pace the Lightning to a 4-0 advantage after two periods.
“He was the best player on the ice for us from start to finish,” said Cooper of Paul, who tallied his seventh goal of the season. “He’s a big piece for us. He fills a lot of holes; does a lot of jobs and it was evident again tonight.”
The win had its tumultuous moments as the Blue Jackets challenged the Lightning in the third period and cut the Bolts’ lead to 4-3 on a power play goal by Cole Sillinger at 14:11. Mikael Pyyhtia and Adam Fantilli each scored 42 seconds apart to immediately cut the Lightning lead to 4-2 at the 8:05 mark.
Tampa Bay recorded its 17th win of the season which left the Lightning at seventh in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Atlantic Division.
“We needed a fifth goal,” Cooper said. “We played for the fifth goal when it was 4-1 and 4-2. We took as many penalties as we did, especially in the third, we took two and a half penalties and they had one. I am not apologizing for winning and that’s what we are here to do.”
Paul’s marker helped the Lightning tie the Winnipeg Jets with a league-leading 117 goals through Tuesday evening.
He explained the Lightning’s overall game which was the 12th game in the last 16 where Tampa Bay has mounted points. He recorded a back-handed pass for an assist on Chaffee’s power-play goal which gave Tampa Bay a 4-0 lead at 14:08 in the second period.
“I thought the way we played those first periods – just hard defense,” said Paul. “We were not forcing anything. Everything offensively came from the defensive zone. Not forcing anything and just creating the odd-man rush.”
Tampa Bay accrued a 3-1 record on its recent west coast road trip which saw the Bolts score 13 combined goals in the last two games which were wins over Calgary and Seattle. These two victories came on the heels of a 4-1 win over Vancouver and a 2-1 loss in Edmonton.
“Go on a road trip – you go out west, change time zones, gone a week and a half or two weeks, whatever it is – and you have had some success and that first game back is tough,” said Cooper.
