TAMPA — Ryan McDonagh was frank as he sat in his stall after Monday’s morning skate.
"I think we need to play desperate,” the Lightning defenseman said, “and that’s on a lot of levels as far as coming up with a big shot block if needed or bearing down on our chances when we have one, and just playing desperate all over the ice.”
Needless to say, McDonagh seemed to have his message translated into action as Tampa Bay’s power play came up big Monday night against the Florida Panthers, paving the way to a 6-1 win.
It was only 41 seconds into the opening frame when Nikita Kucherov shuffled out a pass to his right to Erik Černák. The defenseman skated his way inside the right faceoff circle and took a shot at a crowded net.
The puck redirected off the tape on Brayden Point’s stick and past Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky to get Tampa Bay on the board early.
It set the tone right away, while also marking a career milestone for Kucherov as he notched his 500th career point and 300th career assist.
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And while McDonagh liked the goal scoring on the opening shift, what stuck with him most was Ondřej Palát blocking a Panther shot, one which McDonagh believed could have been a tying goal.
“He makes a big block and allowed us to keep building on the lead there,” McDonagh added. “To come out of the first period with a big three-goal spot. It was great to see contributions from everybody.”
The power play goal from Mikhail Sergachev gave Tampa Bay a three-goal cushion by the end of the first. And the same special teams that came up empty in Washington on Saturday practically paid in full Monday night.
With the contest, the Lightning began a six-game stretch against divisional opponents. And many of the players in the locker room are hoping this win builds some momentum for the matchups to come.
“It’s not going to be easy, and we have to continue to get better and more consistent, but we’ve proven to ourselves enough times now in the first half of the season, so to speak, what we’re capable of and what’s expected of us,” McDonagh said.
And now the team enters a three-day break before they’ll hit the ice again Friday for practice. McDonagh said he hopes the breather provides some time for reflection on this win and how it could impact the games ahead.
“We’re getting commitment from everybody,” he said, “and it’s showing.”
It especially showed at the end of the first period when the Lightning entered the locker room with a three-goal lead against what was a hot-playing Panthers team.
“That team has a ton of skill and they make plays and can get rolling pretty easily,” Point said.
But nearly perfect play from special teams — both went 3-for-4 Monday night — made the difference.
“To see pucks go in, it’s a good feeling,” Point said. “I thought we stuck with it.”
Tampa Bay kept the puck in Florida’s zone for much of the first period, despite the sloppy entrances Point said the team was making, and played with determination after the demeaning 3-1 loss in Washington. The team kept the Panthers scoreless in the third period, too.
In Point’s words, the team stuck with it. And “guys were able to cash in.”
Coach Jon Cooper isn’t sure desperation is the right word for how his team played Monday night, or how he thinks the team has been playing as of late. But until he finds a better word, he’s content with how his team has adjusted.
“It’s how we have to play from here on out,” he said. “(There are) a lot of good things going on in our game and tonight we were rewarded for it. We have to start getting points and this was a great first step.”
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Lightning power play comes up big in 6-1 win over Panthers - Tampa Bay Times
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