The Backcheck: Bolts extend series with Game 4 win

Coming into Saturday evening trailing the Florida Panthers 3-0 within the Spherical One collection, the Tampa Bay Lightning refused go down and not using a battle. Backs towards the wall, the Bolts acquired a lift with the return of defenseman of Mikhail Sergachev, who was inserted into the lineup a mere 79 days after having surgical procedure to stabilize fractures to each the tibia and fibula in his left leg.

As one of many 5 beginning skaters for Tampa Bay, Sergachev’s title was introduced forward of the nationwide anthem and obtained a deafening roar from the group at AMALIE Area.

With the constructing filled with power and enthusiasm, the Lightning carried that momentum into the primary interval, outscoring the Panthers 3-0 over the opening 20 minutes of a do-or-die Sport 4.

The Bolts opened the scoring on the 8:54 mark of the primary when the facility play got here by way of with Steven Stamkos netting his fourth objective in as many video games.

Skating on the highest power-play unit for the primary time this collection, Brandon Hagel moved the puck to the slot for Brayden Level, who put a no-look, backhand cross on a platter for Stamkos to hammer a one-timer previous Sergei Bobrovsky and provides the Lightning a 1-0 lead along with his one hundredth profession playoff level.

With Tyler Motte within the penalty field for interference shortly after, Tampa Bay’s particular groups got here by way of as soon as once more with Hagel netting a shorthanded tally to push the result in 2-0 along with his second objective of the playoffs.

Gaining possession within the defensive zone, Hagel skated by way of the impartial zone and over the Panthers blue line earlier than utilizing Oliver Ekman-Larsson as a display screen and ripping a shot over the blocker of Bobrovsky into the highest left nook simply 3:15 after Stamkos opened the scoring.

Feeding off the house crowd, the Bolts prolonged the result in 3-0 with Level discovering the again of the web for the second time of the collection.

With Nick Paul and Aleksander Barkov each within the penalty field for roughing, Level used the additional ice at 4-on-4 to skate by way of the impartial zone and full a give-and-go with Nikita Kucherov as he handed over the Florida blue line. Dashing round Gustav Forsling, Level pulled Bobrovsky out of his internet earlier than scoring on a wraparound and pushing the result in 3-0 solely 2:58 after Hagel’s shorthanded objective.

Opening the center body in a three-goal gap, Florida punched again with Carter Verhaeghe scoring his third objective of the postseason 4:17 into the interval. Discovering open ice within the slot, Verhaeghe took a cross from Barkov and lifted the puck over the glove of Andrei Vasilevskiy for his third objective of the collection.

In want of a counterpunch, Tampa Bay acquired the required response off the stick of Hagel, who netted his second objective of the evening with Sergachev selecting up the first helper in his return to motion.

Because the groups skated 4-on-4 as soon as once more, Hagel and Anthony Cirelli skated out of the Lightning’s defensive finish and made their method by way of the impartial zone with two Panthers defenders forward of them. Leaping up into the play, Sergachev took a backhand feed from Cirelli as he crossed over the Florida blue line. Together with his head up the entire method, Sergachev despatched a cross to the highest of the circles for Hagel, who curled into the excessive slot and ripped a shot over the glove of Bobrovsky to revive the three-goal lead.

However as they’ve carried out all collection, Florida caught with it and acquired back-to-back tallies from Sam Reinhart (11:10) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (14:33) to make it a one-goal recreation heading into the third interval.

With Tampa Bay’s season on the road, Stamkos continued the unbelievable play he’s showcased all through the collection and scored his second objective of the evening to push the Lightning result in 5-3.

Selecting up a unfastened puck within the offensive zone, Kucherov used his physique to protect off Niko Mikkola and ship a cross to the left circle for Stamkos, who wired a shot to the far put up previous Bobrovsky with 10:26 remaining in regulation.

Getting below the pores and skin of the Panthers, the Bolts earned a 5-on-3 energy play within the late phases of the third interval and prolonged the result in 6-3 with Nick Paul scoring his second objective of the collection, lifting a rebound over the left pad of Bobrovsky with 3:38 remaining in regulation.

Backs towards the wall, the Lightning’s leaders stepped up and performed a significant position in extending the collection with Hagel, Hedman, Kucherov, Level and Stamkos all posting multi-point efforts. Tampa Bay will look to maintain its season alive Monday evening in Dawn. Puck drop for Sport 5 is about for 7 p.m. ET.

Bolts by the Numbers

– Steven Stamkos scored two objectives and prolonged his objective streak to 4 video games (5-1—6). The Lightning captain has now recorded 15 factors in 21 potential-elimination video games (8-7—15), the best objective and level complete amongst all skaters in Tampa Bay franchise historical past in such video games. Stamkos grew to become the fourth participant age 34 or older in NHL historical past to log a four-game objective streak to start the postseason, becoming a member of Rick Tocchet (5 GP in 1998), Teemu Selanne (4 GP in 2011) and Gordie Howe (4 GP in 1963). Stamkos has now scored 50 profession playoff objectives (50-51—101), transferring him previous Ondrej Palat and giving him sole possession of the second-most postseason objectives in Lightning franchise historical past. Stamkos additionally joined Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov as the one gamers in Tampa Bay franchise historical past to document 100 profession playoff factors.

– Brayden Level scored a objective and added two assists for his sixth profession three-point playoff recreation. Level has recorded 5 factors this collection (2-3—5), the fourth-most amongst all Lightning skaters behind Victor Hedman (0-6—6), Nikita Kucherov (0-6—6) and Steven Stamkos (5-1—6).

– Brandon Hagel additionally scored two objectives and added an help, marking his first profession three-point playoff recreation.

– Victor Hedman picked up three helpers, tying his profession excessive for assists in a playoff recreation. Hedman has now recorded 27 multi-point playoff video games, transferring him previous Bobby Orr and giving him sole possession of the Tenth-most multi-point video games by a defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoffs historical past. Hedman’s six assists are probably the most amongst all NHL defensemen this postseason.

– Nikita Kucherov additionally recorded three assists, his twenty second three-point playoff recreation. The one skaters in NHL historical past with extra three-point outings within the postseason are Wayne Gretzky (59), Mark Messier (30) and Jari Kurri (28). Kucherov joined Gretzky (28), Messier (12), Paul Coffey (11) and Doug Gilmour (11) as the one gamers in NHL historical past with 10 or extra three-assist playoff video games.

– Mikhail Sergachev performed his first recreation since Feb. 7 at NYR and logged 17:03 time on ice with one help and two blocked photographs.

– Anthony Cirelli picked up one help recorded 5 hits. Cirelli’s 20 hits this postseason are probably the most amongst all Lightning forwards.

– Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves on 25 photographs towards. Vasilevskiy has now recorded 3,170 profession playoff saves, transferring him previous Mike Vernon and giving him sole possession of the Eleventh-most postseason saves in NHL historical past.

Bolts Quotes

– Mikhail Sergachev on his return to the lineup: “Truthfully, could not actually sleep final evening. It felt like a primary NHL recreation once more. You then go on the ice and also you get that from the followers in a warmup. It made me very emotional and I am simply grateful to be right here and grateful for the blokes. That was large.”

– Jon Cooper on what it meant to have Mikhail Sergachev again within the lineup: “Did you hear the introduction? Within the regular introduction, you hear all of the gamers’ names, there is a cheer. It will get to Vasilevskiy, there is a large cheer. And I couldn’t hear the PA man say Vasilevskiy’s title. The roar simply saved occurring. All the blokes on our bench acquired up. It was a stirring second and I believed we carried that proper into the primary interval.”

– Steven Stamkos on Mikhail Sergachev’s return giving the Lightning a lift: “I form of acquired chills myself simply with that reception that he acquired. You guys do not get to see what goes on behind the scenes and the quantity of labor that goes into getting back from an damage like that. It is spectacular. The timeline’s spectacular. All the things he is carried out is extraordinarily spectacular. To go on the market and play and leap right into a collection after we had been down and on the ropes, it was an enormous enhance for our workforce. I believed Sergy performed excellent tonight and hopefully he continues to do this as a result of he is an enormous a part of our protection for positive.”

– Sergachev: “I need to thank Stammer usually because he broke his leg and Mikey, our coach, was exhibiting me movies of Stammer skating like 4 weeks after. That form of pushed me and made me work as a result of the primary 4 weeks for the reason that damage, it was powerful, mentally. However seeing these movies of him strolling just about the subsequent day and doing all that stuff form of helped.”

Krenner’s Three Stars

1. Steven Stamkos

2. Brandon Hagel

3. Mikhail Sergachev

Lightning Look Forward

– Sport 5: Monday, April 29 at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m. ET, Amerant Financial institution Area