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 The Lightning were faced with a new batch of injuries heading into
their game against the Montreal Canadiens, and this time center
Vladislav Namestnikov was the difference, scoring two goals --
including the game-winner -- and assisting on another to lead Tampa
Bay to a 5-3 win over Montreal on Monday night at the Bell Centre.
With the victory, Tampa Bay clinched a spot in the playoffs.
"Everybody steps up at different times, and tonight was no
different," said Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop, who stopped 25
shots and earned a pair of assists.
Left winger Jonathan Drouin, right winger Nikita Kucherov and
defenseman Anton Stralman also scored for the Lightning (47-23-7),
who swept the five-game season series and set a franchise record for
wins in a season.
Left winger Max Pacioretty and defensemen Jeff Petry and P.K. Subban
scored for the Canadiens (47-22-8).
The Lightning took advantage of a slow and sloppy line change by
Montreal to get the scoring started at 1:24 of the second period.
Bishop spotted center Steven Stamkos at the Canadiens' blue line.
Tampa's captain broke in along the left side before dishing off to
Namestnikov, who skated into the slot to beat Canadiens goaltender
Carey Price.
Pacioretty's 37th goal of the season -- and third short-handed --
squared things exactly three minutes later. With the Canadiens
killing a double minor, Pacioretty batted an attempted stretch pass
out of the air in the neutral zone. Montreal defenseman Andrei
Markov picked it up and fed center Tomas Plekanec along the left
wing. Plekanec, on a two-on-one with Pacioretty, fed Montreal's
leading goal-scorer in the right circle, where Pacioretty fired a
shot top shelf on Bishop.
The goal gave Pacioretty 66 points on the season, a career high.
Tampa Bay tempered the Bell Centre's excitement just 33 seconds
later on the same power play. Stralman, at the Lightning's blue
line, found Drouin at the Canadiens' blue line. The rookie broke in
alone, notching his third goal of the season with a shot from the
slot.
"Those were breakdowns we've got to clean up," Pacioretty said of
the Lightning getting behind the Montreal defense. "When we're
giving them breaks, that team is too skilled to not put it in the
back of the net. In the playoffs, you can't afford to give teams
breaks like that because they'll make you pay. We've got five games
to get ready and we've got to move forward."
Right winger Dale Weise was in the penalty box for those four
minutes after an unsportsmanlike call was tacked on to his slashing
infraction, giving Tampa its fourth and fifth power plays of the
game.
"They dominated us in the first period and then I came out and took
the penalty and didn't give us a chance to really get anything
going," Weise said. "That's not acceptable. Uncalled for on my
part."
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Namestnikov restored Tampa Bay's two-goal lead at 6:21 of the third.
Two Canadiens going for the same hit at the Montreal blue line
allowed him to break in on a two-on-one before he sent a wrister
from the left circle for his second of the night.
"It was a big goal," Namestnikov said of his tally, which hushed the
Bell Centre crowd. "They put some pressure on us but the guys did a
great job of not letting them score again. It was a great full 60
minutes and good game overall."
Kucherov made it 3-1 at 18:07. Markov rimmed a clearing attempt
around the boards, but it was picked off along the opposite wall by
Ondrej Palat. The Tampa Bay left winger sent it to Namestnikov, who
fed Kucherov in the right circle.
Petry pulled the Canadiens to within one 23 seconds into the third.
Center Lars Eller won the faceoff back to Petry at the point, and
Petry's shot deflected into the net.
Subban cut the Lightning's lead to 4-3 on the power play at 16:10.
After the Canadiens passed the puck around looking for a shot,
Subban blasted the puck from inside the blue line to the back of the
net.
Stralman sealed the game with a goal down the ice into an empty net
in the final minute.
Price made 39 saves for Montreal, which has lost seven straight
against Tampa Bay.
NOTES: Lightning C Cedric Paquette was in the lineup despite
suffering an apparent lower-body injury against the Detroit Red
Wings on Saturday. ... Tampa Bay C Tyler Johnson, D Jason Garrison
and D Andrej Sustr missed the game with injuries while emergency
call-up Jonathan Marchessault was the lone healthy scratch. Garrison
is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. ... Montreal kept the same lineup
from Saturday's game, leaving RW Devante Smith-Pelly, C Manny
Malhotra, D Mike Weaver and D Sergei Gonchar as the team's healthy
scratches. ... Canadiens D Tom Gilbert missed his fourth game while
recovering from an upper-body injury.
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