TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy was tested early and often Thursday night, facing an onslaught of shots from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Lightning goaltender made a season-high 52 saves through 65 minutes of hockey and took the shootout to six rounds before Sebastian Aho’s goal sent Tampa Bay to a 4-3 loss.
In the five-minute overtime session, Vasilevskiy made six saves, staving off a two-minute, 4-on-3 Carolina power play along the way after Brayden Point was called for a questionable slashing penalty with 3:05 left in overtime.
The Lightning went into the third period clinging to a one-goal lead thanks to Nikita Kucherov’s 5-on-3 power-play goal in the final minute of the second period.
But after Vladislav Namestnikov drew a tripping penalty driving to the net with about 7-1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Lightning allowed a short-handed goal for the second straight game. Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei’s rocket from the point tied the game at 3.
Unlike their win over Ottawa two days earlier, the Lightning didn’t have many scoring opportunities. Through two periods, Carolina had 53 shot attempts and nearly doubled the Lightning’s shots on goal, 35-17.
After Carolina took a 1-0 lead on a Seth Jarvis goal 8 1/2 minutes into the game, Lightning forward Ross Colton redirected Mikhail Sergachev’s shot from the point to even the game 5:50 into the second period.
Nick Paul about 3 1/2 minutes after that to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead, boxing out Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield and tipping in a Steven Stamkos shot. But the Hurricanes took advantage of an interference call on Colton, who clipped Jordan Martinook in open ice, to tie the game on Martin Necas’ power-play goal.
Martinook then speared Colton after a whistle, leaving Colton hobbled on his knees and his Lightning teammates rushing to defend him. The slashing penalty assessed to Martinook, combined with a cross-checking call on Chatfield, gave the Lightning a 5-on-3 power play with 1:35 left in the second.
Employing a five-forward look on the power play, Kucherov casually snapped a shot from the right circle past Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen, extending his goal streak to five games.
Colton hit the crossbar on a third-period rush that could have given an Lightning extra cushion.
