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Blue Jackets limit the Lightning’s chances to win Game 2

Thursday's first-round outing goes much more quickly, but the series is now tied one game apiece.
 
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) defends the goal as the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Blue Jackets battle in the crease during second-period action in Toronto on Thursday.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) defends the goal as the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Blue Jackets battle in the crease during second-period action in Toronto on Thursday. [ FRANK GUNN | The Canadian Press via AP ]
Published Aug. 13, 2020|Updated Aug. 14, 2020

Just another couple of inches and Lightning left wing Alex Killorn might have tied the score. Those 2 inches could have come on the space that center Tyler Johnson had to make his pass or what Killorn had to take his shot.

The Blue Jackets weren’t giving up that space, though.

They stuck right on the Lightning and turned Tampa Bay’s great scoring chances into good ones. They forced okay shots on great Lightning openings, limiting Tampa Bay’s ability to finish.

That led to a 3-1 Blue Jackets win Thursday in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Toronto to tie the series at one game each.

“Two inches here, 2 inches there, those could be two goals,” Killorn said. “You just get frustrated in the game, but whenever you’re getting chances like that, in the end you’re pretty happy you can create those chances.”

On Johnson and Killorn’s 2-on-1 in the second period, Johnson streaked down the wing while Killorn headed to the net. Columbus defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov laid out in front of Johnson, taking away the shooting and passing lane. He forced Johnson to hold on to the puck for a couple of seconds too long.

Johnson couldn’t connect with Killorn, and they missed the Grade-A chance.

Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones similarly played the game of inches to disrupt center Barclay Goodrow’s scoring chance in the opening minute of the third period. Center Yanni Gourde fed Goodrow at the defensive blue line, and Goodrow took off in a foot race against Jones.

Jones caught up to a half-step behind. Then as Goodrow tried to switch to his forehand, Jones got his stick in to jar the puck loose.

That’s not to say the Lightning didn’t put shots on goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. They recorded 37 shots (which accounts for more per period than their 88 in 7½ periods of play in their Game 1 win), but many of those shots came from the perimeter, and Korpisalo didn’t give up many rebounds.

When he did early, the Lightning made good on one opportunity.

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Right wing Nikita Kucherov’s first-period goal to open scoring came on the Lightning’s third chance of the game. Left wing Ondrej Palat took a shot from the right circle, then another from the high slot. The second sailed over the net, where Kucherov collected the puck.

Related: Sign up for Lightning Strikes to get a weekly note from beat writer Diana C. Nearhos with all your Bolts news

He made a nice move to the post while other players were still figuring out where the puck ended up and slipped it in.

The Lightning took more shots from the left side of the net front than any place else, according to the statistics website Natural Stat Trick, but they were unable to capitalize on rebounds and deflections like they did in Game 1.

The way Columbus collapses in the zone makes it harder for the Lightning defensemen to find lanes to get the puck through to the net or to the forwards down low.

Once again, Columbus got in shooting lanes. They followed up their 62 blocked shots in Tuesday’s five-overtime marathon with 21 in Thursday’s game.

“Our shots have to be quicker,” defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “It’s not so much getting it past the first guy, it’s the second guy, the second layer that tries to front that shot.”

He said the opportunities would come from getting the pucks toward the net to “create some havoc” and create chances for deflections and rebounds.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh spoke to the importance of not just shooting the puck on net from the blue line but also looking to set up forwards at the sides of the net for openings like the one on which Kucherov scored.

“It’s definitely an area we’re talking about,” McDonagh said, “and we can improve on that for sure going forward.”

Contact Diana C. Nearhos at dnearhos@tampabay.com. Follow @dianacnearhos.

Blue Jackets 2-0-1—3

Lightning 1-0-0—1

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Kucherov 2 (Point, Palat), 5:24. 2, Columbus, Murray 1 (Dubois), 12:52. 3, Columbus, Bjorkstrand 2 (Dubois, Texier), 18:35 (pp). Penalties–Jones, CBJ (Tripping), 10:30; Cernak, TB (Interference), 18:19.

Second Period—None. Penalties–Killorn, TB (Holding), 5:22.

Third Period—4, Columbus, Wennberg 2 (Foligno, Foudy), 11:27. Penalties–Point, TB (High Sticking), 5:33; Murray, CBJ (Holding), 12:56.

Shots on Goal—Columbus 6-10-6_22. Tampa Bay 12-14-11_37.Power-play opportunities—Columbus 1 of 3; Tampa Bay 0 of 2. Goalies—Columbus, Korpisalo 3-1-1 (37 shots-36 saves). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy 3-2-0 (22-19). T—2:34. Referees—Francis Charron, Chris Lee. Linesmen—Shandor Alphonso, Greg Devorski.