The Tampa Bay Lightning have bounced back well after their longest losing streak of the season. On the other hand, it has been almost a month since the Columbus Blue Jackets won two games in a row.
After losing four straight games, the Lightning are looking for their fourth consecutive win as they face the Blue Jackets on Thursday.
Tampa Bay started November with an 0-3-1 record, but they have since outscored their opponents 11-3 during their current three-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, in Pittsburgh, the Lightning were down 2-0 after two periods, but Brayden Point scored twice, including a goal 3:58 into overtime, leading Tampa Bay to a 3-2 victory and ending their three-game road losing streak.
Point, who returned after missing four games with a lower-body injury, said, “I think it just shows what we need to be successful. I think that third period is how we’re going to have to win games … Just good defending and working our chances.”
Anthony Cirelli also scored for the third straight game, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 of 19 shots. Vasilevskiy has made 99 saves on 103 shots in his last four starts, going 3-0-1.
Meanwhile, Point has 10 goals and 15 points in the 13 games he has played this season. “He’s got an engine, that kid. He’s got a nose for the net,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “We’re obviously a much better team when Point is in the lineup.”
Tampa Bay has won 10 of their last 12 matchups with Columbus, with Point scoring three goals in the last five games between the two teams.
Vasilevskiy has a 2.37 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in his eight-game winning streak against the Blue Jackets. However, backup goalie Jonas Johansson has allowed five goals in each of his two starts against Columbus.
Like Tampa Bay, the Blue Jackets struggled to start November, going 0-5-1 before winning two of their last three games. Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves, and five different players scored in Columbus’ 5-1 win over Boston on Monday, which led to the Bruins firing coach Jim Montgomery.
The Blue Jackets have won two consecutive games only once this season (Oct. 28 and 30), but Monday’s win gave them something to build on.
“We can now reinforce a lot of stuff that we did in (Monday’s) game,” said Columbus coach Dean Evason. “But, it has to be consistent. Hopefully, that propels us forward to do the right things.”
Merzlikins has stopped 49 of 52 shots in his last two starts after allowing 3.99 goals per game and going 0-3-1 in his previous four. He has a 2.21 GAA and a .929 save percentage in his career as a starter at home against the Lightning, with a 3-1-1 record.
Meanwhile, Blue Jackets goalie Daniil Tarasov has a 4.78 GAA during his current 0-3-1 streak this season.
Columbus’ Kirill Marchenko leads the team with 16 points but has only one in the last four games. However, he has scored five goals and added one assist in five career games against Tampa Bay.
