Led by Steven Stamkos and Ben Bishop, the Lightning had no trouble taking down the struggling Blackhawks.
A bevy of trades have dominated the news cycle this week, as Chicago, Los Angeles and other contenders have attempted to beef up their rosters for a Stanley Cup run. The Tampa Bay Lightning, meanwhile, have been fairly quiet.
GM Steve Yzerman should probably pull the trigger on a deal or two before Monday's deadline -- perhaps for a defenseman -- but even if he doesn't, it's hard to pick against the Bolts. They showed us why on Saturday.
With a talented and desperate opponent in town, the Lightning dominated the Blackhawks, 4-0, in front of a sell-out crowd at Amalie Arena. Ben Bishop saved all 28 shots he faced, and Steven Stamkos scored twice to lead the way.
This victory has moved Tampa within two points of the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division lead. Additionally, it may have given Chicago another reason to shake things up.
Three things we learned
1. The Blackhawks aren't content with standing pat
Stan Bowman isn't messing around. With the 'Hawks experiencing some rare adversity, the Chicago GM wasn't afraid to sacrifice two draft picks -- including a second rounder -- for 39-year-old Kimmo Timonen, who has yet to play this year due to blood clots. What's more, Bowman is reportedly shopping center Patrick Sharp, and the Washington Capitals appear to have legitimate interest.
2. The Anaheim Ducks can't stop winning one-goal games
Heading into tonight, Los Angeles was 19-1-3 when leading after two periods. Common sense would tell us that a 2-0 Kings lead after 40 minutes would be pretty secure. But things like common sense and logic don't apply to the Anaheim Ducks.
Thanks to three third-period goals, including the game-winner from Corey Perry, Anaheim orchestrated a late come-back to beat LA, 4-2. Somehow, someway, the Ducks keep winning by one goal. The analytics tell us this isn't a repeatable talent, but it's hard not to appreciate what Anaheim is accomplishing here.
3. Steven Stamkos could probably shoot an apple off your head
GIF: Stamkos breaks the net http://ift.tt/1zpOtZb
— Andrew DeWitt (@AndrewRDeWitt) February 28, 2015
Scores
Hurricanes 3, Capitals 0
Lightning 4, Blackhawks 0
Ducks 4, Kings 2
Impact moment
Ryan Spooner gave Boston the win over New Jersey by scoring his first career goal in overtime:
Stat of the night
With every point huge, a crushing stat for Stars to swallow is a 0-8 record at home in OT/shootout. They are the only team in NHL w/o a win.
— Josh Bogorad (@JoshBogorad) February 28, 2015
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1zpOsUT
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