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By now, Lightning should know every minute matters against Columbus

John Romano | Tampa Bay's special teams have been a problem in both games of a series that is now tied at 1-1.
 
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (28) is congratulated by teammates Gustav Nyquist (14) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (18) after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period Thursday in Toronto.
Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (28) is congratulated by teammates Gustav Nyquist (14) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (18) after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period Thursday in Toronto. [ FRANK GUNN | AP ]
Published Aug. 14, 2020

There were things you expected when the Lightning’s playoff series with Columbus began.

For instance, the Blue Jackets would be stingy when it came to giving up odd-man rushes. That’s just their way. And coach John Tortorella would look perpetually grumpy. That’s just his way.

Then there were things you did not expect and, honestly, the Lightning cannot have.

Like Tampa Bay giving up goals in consecutive games against one of the weakest power-play units in the entire NHL, let alone the current 16-team playoff field.

Yet, here the Lightning are. Tied at one game apiece after a 3-1 loss on Thursday that was heavily influenced by special teams play. After two games, the Lightning are 0-for-6 on the power play and Columbus is 2-for-8.

“We’ve been losing the special teams battle,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “At the end of the day, we know we need to be better in those spots.”

It’s not just about those specific goals, although they obviously hurt. It’s also the effect that special teams can have on a game’s momentum.

On Thursday, the Lighting looked like they were finally going to have their way with the Blue Jackets. They were up 1-0 barely five minutes into the game and, after 12 minutes, Columbus still had not managed a shot on goal.

Then Tampa Bay failed to score on a power play, and the atmosphere seemed to change immediately. Columbus got its first shot at the net five seconds after their penalty kill ended, then scored the tying goal 17 seconds later.

“The most important part of the game was that first penalty kill,” Tortorella said.

Related: Blue Jackets get momentum on first penalty kill

Columbus’ first power play wasn’t so bad, either. After defenseman Erik Cernak was called for interference with 1:41 remaining in the first period, right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand was left all alone in the faceoff circle and slammed home a shot six seconds into the power play.

“Unfortunately, on the PK the goal they scored on, that was just a missed assignment. Coaches had the team prepped on that and they missed it. That was a tough one to swallow,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “The other ones we killed absolutely fine, so there was one missed assignment. It’s a mental mistake and in games of this magnitude you can’t make them.”

To be more precise, you can’t make them against these guys.

Columbus is not your typical playoff team. The Blue Jackets were 27th in the NHL in scoring in the regular season. They were 28th in power play goals. For crying out loud, their power play was 0-for-14 in the play-in series against a mediocre Toronto defense.

The Blue Jackets cannot afford to get into a high-scoring showdown, so every opportunity for a goal is precious. And when you allow their power play unit to score 25 percent of the time, it’s like giving away one of your greatest advantages.

And that doesn’t even include the fact that Tampa Bay has had too many unnecessary penalties. They were called twice for having too many men on the ice in Game 1, then left wing Alex Killorn was called for a ridiculous punch in the middle of a play on Thursday.

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Related: Lightning-Blue Jackets Game 2 report card: Close, but not close enough

Even when Columbus doesn’t convert those opportunities into goals, it’s an extra two minutes that Tampa Bay loses on offense. And shortening the game plays right into the Columbus philosophy.

At this point, Cooper does not seem overly concerned about the special team percentages. And he’s absolutely correct that two games are a small sample size.

“On a power play, if you get anything over 20 percent you’re in pretty good shape,” Cooper said. “We had two power plays tonight and we had some pretty darn good looks. You know what, if we get two power plays the next night and don’t score and then have one power play the next game and score on that, the percentages work out. Basically, you’re looking for momentum.”

The Lightning had momentum in Game 2. For a dozen minutes they looked like they were playing at a level that Columbus could not even imagine. And then the Blue Jackets killed a penalty and turned the game around in a matter of seconds.

That’s not a good sign. Columbus may not overwhelm you with individual skills, but the team knows how to keep a score close and take advantage of the tiniest opportunity.

By now, the Lightning should know that.