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Lightning-Canadiens: Observations from Tampa Bay’s back-to-back shutout win

The Lightning got feisty with the Canadiens in its 3-0 win.
 
DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD   |   Times
Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (37) emerges from between two officials during a tussle with Montreal Canadiens center Max Domi (13) during the second period of Saturday's (2/18/19) game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (37) emerges from between two officials during a tussle with Montreal Canadiens center Max Domi (13) during the second period of Saturday's (2/18/19) game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
Published Feb. 17, 2019|Updated Feb. 17, 2019

TAMPA – If you’re under the assumption that the Lightning needs to be a more physical team, I recommend you re-watch some of the scrums from Saturday night’s game.

Yanni Gourde, Anthony Cirelli and Adam Erne all found themselves in the heat of things with the Canadiens during Saturday’s contest at least once, and at times multiple instances.

Erne and Dale Weise got things a little over halfway through the third period. Weise and Erne tangled up in open ice before Weise pinned Erne down headfirst into the ice. When the two finally came up for air, Erne’s helmet wasn’t on his head and Weise made his way toward the box for the next two minutes for roughing.

Not even in the game’s final seconds, did things settle. Cirelli got into it with Andrew Shaw with 15 seconds to play. The tussle ended in Cirelli locking his arms around Shaw’s neck before laying him out flat on the ice.

The two went at it for less than 30 seconds before the referees came and broke things up. Both players immediately headed for their respective locker rooms with 10-minute misconduct penalties. And Cirelli logged an extra two for roughing.

MORE ON THE LIGHTNING: Vasilevskiy sets Lightning franchise record with 18 career shutouts.

But the most exciting part of the evening came in the second period as Gourde and Max Domi, two of the smaller players on the ice, emerged from a team scrum like they were in a wrestling match.

Even after being sent to the penalty boxes, the two yelled at each other through the entire TV timeout. Does he take pride in getting under opponents’ skins?

“I mean, it happens,” he said. “I’m not going to sit here and say I love getting punched in the face, but this is hockey, and this is where I’m going to be standing [around the goal].”

Gourde finds himself in these situations and somehow comes out with a smile. Not even he knows why.

Here are some odds and ends from Tampa Bay’s 3-0 win:

Kucherov doesn’t disappoint. Nikita Kucherov finished off the night with another multi-point game, his fourth in a row. The forward notched his fifth goal and eighth assist in four games. Kucherov now leads the league in points (97) and in multi-point games for the season (28).

Canadiens goal waived off. Montréal’s Brett Kulak thought he had started off the Canadiens on the right foot with a shot to the bottom corner of the net, just out of reach for Vasilevskiy as he made a left-to-right movement across the net. It was a beautiful shot, but it was quickly overturned after officials in Toronto’s situation room took a closer look at the play. Montréal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi was offsides on the goal run, crossing just over the blue line before the Lightning’s Tyler Johnson.

If it doesn’t work out the first time, try again. Johnson would have had a two-goal night if it wasn’t for a goaltender interference call made during the third period. It didn’t take long for the forward to rebound, however, as he secured a three-goal lead off a shot from the left hashmark for the Lightning with 3:14 to go.

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Let’s get physical. Cedric Paquette recorded six hits during Saturday’s physical contest against the Canadiens. He now carries 204 hits into Monday’s matchup against the Blue Jackets. This is the first time a player has broken the 200-hit marker in a single season since Radko Gudas did in 2013-14 with 273 hits that season.

Shots, shots, sh-shots shots. Erik Černák put seven shots on net in the second period alone on Saturday. The rest of the Lightning had five. Tampa Bay missed the net on a few one-timers and passed a lot in the second period.

Take your children to work day. Ryan McDonagh and Louis Domingue shared a special moment with their children before the puck drop. The children waved to their dads through the glass as they sent them off to work with a smile.

Contact Lightning beat writer Diana C. Nearhos at dnearhos@tampabay.com. Follow @dianacnearhos. Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@tampabay.com. Follow @faiello_mari.