Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Live Thread For Game No. 37
The Tampa Bay Lightning finish off their back-to-back series tonight as they host another Atlantic Division opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning did what many believed to be impossible last night at the Amalie Arena. The Lightning came back in the third period and forced the Montreal Canadiens into overtime. Just over a minute into the overtime period, Lightning forward Tyler Johnson secured the win for the Bolts.
Unfortunately, the Lightning didn’t have very long to celebrate their victory over the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens. In less than 24 hours, the team would have to hit the ice once again to take on another Atlantic Division for, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Just as the Tampa Bay Lightning felt as if they were starting to make some ground in terms of getting healthy and getting their players back into the lineup, the hockey gods decided to show them how very wrong they were. Before the game, the Bolts got both Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat back into the lineup.
tampa bay lightning
Bolts by the Bay 23hTampa Bay Lightning Fight Back To Defeat Montreal Canadiens In Overtime
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This was definitely good news for the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans; especially given the impact these three players had on the outcome of the game. Unfortunately, the hockey gods giveth and taketh away. In the Lightning’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Canadiens, the team also lost forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Brayden Point.
As many Lightning fans know by now, Vladislav Namestnikov was the victim of a needless and ridiculously hard hit from Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber that sent Vladdy head-first into the boards. Obviously, he Vladislav Namestnikov didn’t return to the game.
This morning, it was announced that Vladdy is being considered as day-to-day with an Upper-Body Injury. Hopefully, his injury is more of a stinger and not something severe like a concussion. Only time will tell how this story will play out.
In addition to Namestnikov, the Lightning also received some other equally disappointing news this morning. It seems as if Brayden Point sustained an Upper-Body Injury after his assist on Ondrej Palat’s goal in the third period and will not be forced to miss 4-6 weeks. This means we won’t see Point again until at least mid-January.
Unfortunately, the show must go on. As harsh as that sounds, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a job to do and the league is not going to stop moving because the Bolts are overcome with a ridiculous amount of injuries. If the Lightning want to continue playing in April, they are going to have to keep momentum on their side and continue winning games.
Tonight’s game is all-too-important to the Lightning. The Toronto Maple Leafs are just two points shy of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the standings a loss tonight would bring these two into a tie situation. While we may not be at the halfway point in the season just yet, it’s never too early to count points and keep a close eye on your enemies.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a good track record at home this season, having gone 10-5-1 this season at the Amalie Arena. Let’s hope the Lightning can find a way to keep momentum on their side tonight, put together another win streak, and most importantly…bring home the two points.
If you can’t make your way to the game tonight, you can always join us here at Bolts By The Bay. In addition to live tweeting tonight’s game, we’ll also be hanging out right here with some of the best fans in the league discussing tonight’s action between the Lightning and the Maple Leafs.
Do you want to be a part of the action? Well, all you have to do is scroll down a little bit and join the party in the comments section. Whether you’re watching from the comfort of your own home, or looking for something to do during intermission that doesn’t involve waiting in a long line, we are here for you.
We hope everyone enjoys the game and, as always, LET’S GO LIGHTNING!!
Topics: Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference
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