Heading into the mid-season break with the worst record in the NHL, Columbus was in dire need of a win. Instead, it was more of the same for the Blue Jackets, as they lost 4-2 at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This time, it wasn’t a lack of focus that sank Columbus, but rather the phenomenal play of two veteran all-stars whose relationship has flourished during the 10 years they’ve played together.
Tampa Bay’s longtime fan-favorites, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, each had a goal and an assist in a second-period surge that led the Lightning past the Blue Jackets.
Scoring opened at 13:20 of the first period when Mike Angelidis, playing in his first NHL game, backhanded a shot past Curtis Sanford on just his second shift of the night.
The lead was erased less than two minutes later when recently acquired Brett Lebda roofed a snap shot to knot the game at 1-1. The goal was Lebda’s first with Columbus.
In the second period, it was the franchise players who took center stage. First, Lecavalier tallied with the man advantage. Then, eight minutes later, Lecavalier dished a tape-to-tape cross-ice saucer pass to the stick of St. Louis. With the quick flick of the wrist, St. Louis put the capstone on the highlight reel play and made it 3-1 in the process.
Fives minutes into the third frame, the Blue Jackets cut the deficit in half with a goal from Ryan Johansen. That was as close as they would get.
Later in the period, Tampa Bay added another goal and some security to ice the game.
Columbus did the majority of its shooting in the third period, but former Blue Jacket goaltender Mathieu Garon did not crack under pressure. Garon made 22 saves in the win.
On the other end of the ice, Sanford turned aside 27 of 31 shots in the losing effort.
mm938910@ohiou.edu
