Lightning get another dose of lessons in surreal Game 6 loss
TAMPA, Fla. -- The surreal third period ended with no massive roar, no handshakes, no popping the cork on a party inside Amalie Arena and throughout the Tampa Bay region that would have lingered into Wednesday's wee hours.
The surreal third period instead guaranteed that a Game 7 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers will happen Friday at Madison Square Garden, the matchup made possible because the men from the Empire State struck back with a five-goal blitzkrieg as part of a 7-3 victory that flattened the Lightning's ambitions to end the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night.
The surreal third period served as something stunning and something misleading at the same time. Yes, the Lightning's defense had more holes than an excavation site when J.T. Miller, James Sheppard, Rick Nash and Derick Brassard (twice) chipped away with goals that turned a nail-biter into a laugher. Yes, the Lightning were miserable in this span, a collection amok that brought to life flashbacks of their 5-1 defeat in Game 4.
But the whole experience was sort of a Tampa Bay Twilight Zone, with the sequence out-of-character for the Lightning after they played well throughout the first two periods. After all, they trailed just 2-1 when entering what became a twisted third period for them. The wild turn of events felt weird.
"It's just more lessons learned," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "And sometimes, you have to go to a school of hard knocks to find out what works and what doesn't."
Make it the College of Corporal Punishment.
There's no fuzzy way to put this: The Rangers spanked the Lightning in the third period. They played more disciplined. They played with more desire on both sides of the ice. New York looked like a driven, tested team. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, walked away with paddle marks on its backside.
As the Lightning slid off the rails, the Rangers chugged toward a date with their second Game 7 of the postseason, to be held Friday at Madison Square Garden. Life for Tampa Bay will become interesting from here.
"I thought our first and second (periods) were where they needed to be, and we were concentrating on defense," Lightning winger Ryan Callahan said. "We were getting our opportunities, our chances. Then the third, it obviously wasn't good enough. We kind of got away from it a little bit and gave them more opportunities."
Moments like this make you wonder how the Lightning tick. They can fight like a deranged hyena when they face elimination (against Detroit) or they feel threatened (against Montreal). But sometimes, they lack the same big, bad bite when they're placed in a so-called comfortable position like Tuesday.
Granted, no team grinds through the Stanley Cup Playoffs unscathed. Lapses are bound to happen. Still, the result Tuesday, plus a 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at home in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals and two consecutive losses to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference semifinals after building a 3-0 series lead make you scratch your head. The Lightning don't make life easy.
This young bunch survived those earlier tests, and they've won twice at Madison Square Garden in the past three meetings there. Still, Tuesday felt like a missed opportunity. Now the Rangers will drag the Lightning back to New York with them and enjoy the comforts of familiar ice, where they are 7-0 all-time in Game 7 matchups at Madison Square Garden.
Tampa Bay goes from home to a harrowing situation in a hurry. If the Lightning's season ends Friday, they should look back at the third period Tuesday and cringe.
"In the third period, we weren't ourselves," Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos said. "We're not going to sit here and sulk and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to go win a game on the road to get to the Cup Final. We're confident with our ability to win a game on the road. For whatever reason, we've played better on the road than we have at home the last couple times."
The Lightning better find themselves fast. Thing is, they don't have to search far into the past to see what they should be. They showcased a complete defensive effort in a 2-0 victory in Game 5. Then for two periods Tuesday, they appeared to be in good shape while outshooting the Rangers 29-18.
Then thunder shook in the third period for the Rangers. The Lightning were left to pick up the shattered glass of a prime chance squandered.
"The third period wasn't good enough from our part," Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. "But at the same time, it's something we can fix as a team. We have to put this behind us and look forward to Friday."
Good idea, because there's little use in glancing back at a finish to forget.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
