The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the Eastern Conference’s streakiest teams this season.
Dragging around a three-game losing skid (0-2-1) and a home record that is now on the south side of .500 (8-9-0), the Lightning will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in the first meeting between the clubs this season.
Coach Jon Cooper’s group went a dismal 1-4-2 out of the gate before winning 15 of the next 18 games to reach the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
However, Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings dropped the Lightning to 2-6-1 in their past nine and 0-2-0 in their four-game homestand that wraps up with a matchup with the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
“For a massive part of the year, we were on a pretty darn good streak,” Cooper said. “Like winning 15 of 18 or something like that with basically the same lineup. … We have done that, but for whatever reason it’s not going our way right now. But we know it can, and we’ve proven that. “
The Lightning saw top points producer Nikita Kucherov (13 goals, 29 assists in 30 games) take himself out of the lineup because of illness after the pregame skate, reducing the forward group to 11.
That dwindled to 10 when Anthony Cirelli went down hard and headed to the tunnel with 13:45 left in the third period after the forward stopped, pivoted to get back on defense and crashed hard into the Kings’ unsuspecting Kevin Fiala.
Cirelli, who has played in 68 or fewer games in three of the past six seasons due to injuries, did not return.
When asked what it was like losing players seemingly every game, Cooper replied, “It’s an opportunity for other guys is what it is.”
On an Eastern Conference-best five-game winning streak, Carolina traveled to Sunrise for Friday night’s matchup with the Panthers in the first of back-to-back games.
When it was over, coach Rod Brind’Amour did not like what he saw: His club squandered a two-goal lead in the final 10:16 of the third period. The Panthers scored two goals with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on the bench and an extra skater on the ice.
Florida won 4-3 in the shootout, with Evan Rodrigues potting the game-winner in the fourth round.
“I didn’t really love the game,” Brind’Amour said. “Obviously, you should’ve won the game when you have a two-goal lead there. But at the end, two 6-on-5 goals. The details weren’t very good. We were kind of cheating for that next one instead of just doing it right. It cost us a point.”
Sebastian Aho scored twice, once on the power play, to give him 13 goals on the season.
Captain Jordan Staal added his 10th goal of the season.
However, Carolina top goal scorer Seth Jarvis was injured in overtime after he crashed at full speed into the left goal post, smacking it with his rib area and grimacing in pain.
“It’s not good, so he’s going to be out for a while,” Brind’Amour said.
In the crease, rookie sensation Brandon Bussi (11-1-1, 2.11 goals-against average, .913 save percentage) lost in his effort to break Cam Ward’s record of nine consecutive wins.
