Three Things: Back To The Well, Comeback Bid Falters, Fabbro Injured

By Will Chase on December 18, 2024 at 8:15 am
Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) shoots as Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves (73) defends during the third period at Amalie Arena.
© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The losses are piling up.

Nick Paul had a three-point night with a goal and two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

Back To The Well

Jet Greaves is getting his feet wet as an NHL goaltender and Tuesday’s start was his biggest test yet.

His third start in four games, Greaves battled the top offense in the game for the second time in under a week. Last week, he faced the Washington Capitals who came into the game putting up 4.04 goals for per game and Greaves limited them to two goals in a 2-1 overtime loss. Since then, the Lightning eclipsed Washington for the top spot with 4.03 goals for per game.

Luke Glendening beat Greaves for his second goal of the season at 3:21 of the first period. Nick Perbix (6) and Emil Lilleberg assisted on the goal.

A three-goal second-period barrage — Paul (7), Jake Guentzel (18), Mitchell Chaffee (6, PPG) — seemingly put this one out of reach but Greaves held his own ultimately.

Paul's goal at 1:28 was unassisted and he assisted on Guentzel's tally at 7:36 and Chaffee's goal at 14:18. Hagel also assisted on Chaffee's goal.

Guentzel has seven straight games with a goal and is on a seven-game point streak (nine goals, three assists).

In 25 career games against Columbus, Guentzel has 31 career points (14 goals, 17 assists).

According to MoneyPuck, he had -0.81 goals saved above expected.

Offense Hard To Come By Early

It’s tough enough when you’re facing the best offense. It’s just as challenging when facing one of the best goalies in the sport.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was honored pregame for his 500th career game, which he played on Dec. 12 in an 8-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. In Game 501, it was vintage Vasilevskiy as he shut out the Blue Jackets through 40 minutes and the Lightning limited Columbus to 14 shots heading into the third period.

This game didn't quite resemble the tilt these two played on Nov. 21 at Nationwide Arena when Columbus won 7-6 in overtime but the third period did get interesting.

Trailing 4-0 entering the third period, the Jackets broke through with a three-goal third period to cut the deficit to one goal.

Mikael Pyyhtia scored his second career goal at 7:23 with Sean Kuraly (5) getting the assist. 

Adam Fantilli scored his sixth of the year 42 seconds later. Kirill Marchenko (19) added the first of two assists in the period.

Cole Sillinger scored on the power play, his sixth. Dmitri Voronkov got his sixth assist and Marchenko picked up his 20th of the year.

Brayden Point's (21) empty-net goal at 17:51 put this one to bed.

The Jackets fall to 1-6-2 in their last nine games. Vasilevskiy, the fastest goalie to 300 career wins, nailed down No. 307 on Tuesday in his 491st career start. He made 28 saves.

Fabbro Injured

Dante Fabbro left the game in the second period and did not return with a lower-body injury following a knee-on-knee hit by Conor Geekie.

Geekie was initially assessed a two-minute minor for kneeing Fabbro at 3:08.

After the hit, both teams were involved in a scrum and Sillinger had 17 penalty minutes including an instigator against Geekie, a fighting major served by Voronkov, and a misconduct. Mathieu Olivier and Brandon Hagel each had roughing penalties.

Back Home

The Blue Jackets head back to Nationwide Arena to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. ET.

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