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Lightning-Stars: Rewinding Tampa Bay’s third shutout

Lightning pull together strong defensive game. Ondrej Palat has a small point streak started. Dez Bryant alert at the Stars game.
 
Published Jan. 16, 2019

DALLAS—Defenseman Anton Stralman has said multiple times he wants to see a better overall defensive effort from the Lightning. He saw that on Tuesday as Tampa Bay shut out Dallas.

"Overall, defensively, even though they had a lot of zone time, we didn't give up a tremendous amount of chances," he said after the 2-0 win. "Everyone was paying attention to the defensive responsibilities and details in our game. And that's what we need."

The Lightning posted its third shutout of the season and second of the last eight days, having held Columbus without a goal last Tuesday.

Odds and ends from the Lightning's win:

Well that was pretty. The Lightning's first goal was a great play start to finish. It started with a good stretch pass from Braydon Coburn up the ice. Then Yanni Gourde had a nice touch pass to Steven Stamkos has he approached the zone with speed. Stamkos made a nice move, pulling the puck across his body to protect it from winger Alexander Radulov and then backhanding a tough pass back around Radulov. Ondrej Palat was there to one-time the puck in.

Sergachev's second. Mikhail Sergachev's second goal came a lot quicker than his first. Halfway through the third period, Anthony Cirelli won a faceoff straight back to Sergachev. The defenseman took a second to settle the puck at the point and see his options. He decided the best one was a shot and ripped it off from there.

Moving up the ranks. Andrei Vasilevskiy notched his 15th career shutout with 35 saves on Tuesday. That moves him past Nikolai Khabibulin for second-most shutouts in Lightning history.

Palat going streaking. Ondrej Palat scored in the first period and has a point in each of the last four games. Three of those four points have been goals and one assist on the lone goal against the Islanders.

The Lightning has their number. The Lightning was 3-0-1 in the last two years against the Stars. Tampa Bay had at least one point in eight of the last nine games against Dallas.

He didn't even start here. Stralman played his 337th game with the Lightning. That puts him at No. 7 for most games played by a Lightning defenseman, passing Cory Cross. Victor Hedman has played the most.

Hello there, Brendan Morrow. He spent a year with the Lightning but 14 with the Stars and took in the game in Dallas. The Stars wished him a happy birthday "to-Morrow."

Star treatment for Dez. Morrow wasn't the only star at the game. Dez Bryant is no longer a Cowboy but he's back in Dallas. Bryant was on hand as a guest of the Stars on Tuesday. During a timeout, Bryant was shown outside the dressing room as the players took the ice and on the bench for warmups. Both times, he had his phone out taking photos/video. While that footage played on the videoboard, the arena played "All My Exes Live in Texas." Bryant got a very mixed reaction from the Dallas crowd.

MORE ON THE LIGHTNING:

Lightning bounce back, shut out Stars

Victor Hedman back in lineup as Bolts face Stars