Bolts Breakdown@BoltsBreakdown
Rapid Reaction || 6-5 SO Victory (BOS):
Wow, oh wow! MY HEAD HURTS.
Unbelievable game. Unbelievable atmosphere. Unbelievable finish.
WOW!!!!
There are no words to express what we just witnessed…best regular season game in Lightning history?! Right?! Surely.
1) First let me address the overall Stadium Series. Bravo, NHL! Well done on all accounts: the pirates, the color schemes, the entrances, the ice, the tent, the weather…The game itself — regardless of the result — was a massive success in my opinion. 100% better than Miami.
2) The Lightning seemed uncharacteristically sloppy in that first period. It wasn’t just a lack of hustle. It was errant passes just thrown to random areas. It was lazy back-checking and lackadaisical crease coverage. Like I said, uncharacteristic.
Then, credit to BOS, they made it very difficult for us to regain our footing. That’s a strong team, and you could tell they were ROLLING at the end of the first/early second.
Thankfully, the world’s best power play unit resurrected the Bolts & brought belief back into that room. That, coupled with the Vasilevskiy fight, is what pushed us to get back into the game.
And as time went on, you could tell the boys remembered our identity. Get pucks deep & defend hard.
The Lightning never gave up. They played their game and trusted the results. Vasilevskiy came in clutch to lock it down, and the super stars made the rest happen.
What a crazy, crazy rollercoaster!
3) As thrilling as the outdoor, Buccaneers, winter hockey game was, the best part of tonight was the separation from these tough divisional rivals.
Last year, the Bolts really struggled against the Atlantic division. Now, with so much dominance through the first half of the year, but not many Atlantic opponents, the big question — for me — was how would we do in these divisional showdowns?
It seems the boys are dialed no matter who it is. Way to go, Bolts! Love the resilience, love the tenacity.
This👏team👏is👏SPECIAL👏
Bolts Breakdown Three Stars:
1st Star — Andrei Vasilevskiy
2nd Star — Nikita Kucherov
3rd Star — Jake Guentzel
