Stanley Cup Playoffs: 3 takeaways from Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Game 2
After the Columbus Blue Jackets surprised the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs series, the Jackets put on an encore performance in Game 2. Here are three takeaways from a shocking Game 2 that saw Columbus with 5-1.
The Tampa Bay Lightning came into the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the overwhelming favorites to lift the Stanley Cup at the end. They have now been shocked twice by the Columbus Blue Jackets. After coming back from a 3-0 deficit in Game 1, the Jackets won 5-1 in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead.
Obviously, Columbus was in the same situation last year and it didn’t end well for them. But Tampa seems completely overwhelmed and frustrated by the Jackets. Last year, even with Columbus up 2-0, the Washington Capitals never seemed overwhelmed.
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After a historic regular season, anything less than a Stanley Cup will be disappointing for Tampa. What would that make a first-round exit? It would be the most significant and largest upset in NHL history. Without a doubt.
Worst of all, the Bolts might not even have their best player, Nikita Kucherov, after he made a very dangerous and questionable hit towards the end. The odds were stacked in Tampa’s favor. Now they could be stacked against them. Here are three takeaways from a shocking Game 2.
3. Coming Out Firing
The Blue Jackets had a horrendous start to Game 1, to say the least. By the end of the first 20 minutes, they found themselves in a 3-0 hole. While the Jackets came back from that deficit, it’s not ideal to have such a bad start.
This time around, it was Columbus who got off to a strong start. Star forward Cam Atkinson got the scoring started just over five minutes into the first period.
.@CamAtkinson13 with the redirect for a 1-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/RQei1dlvNo
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 12, 2019
After Mikhail Sergachev got called for hooking, Columbus didn’t need long to score on the ensuing power-play, as Zach Werenski scored right off the draw to make it 2-0.
https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1116847907364274176
The Jackets needed to come out strong after Game 1. They sure did, putting Tampa behind 2-0 early. In Game 1, Columbus got pushed around early and they were lucky to come back. It seems they learned their lesson, as they were the ones pushing the Bolts around in Game 2.
2. Special Teams
Going into this series, it was fair to assume the Lightning would have a significant advantage on special teams. After all, they finished with the NHL’s highest power-play efficiency percentage and the highest penalty kill percentage.
This makes Columbus’ dominance on special teams against Tampa even more impressive. Back in Game 1, the Jackets got the game-tying (shorthanded) and game-winning (power play) goals on special teams.
In Game 2, Columbus got two power-play goals from Werenski and Matt Duchene. This coming from a team who had the fourth-lowest power play percentage in the postseason. How rare is it to get two power-play goals in one game against Tampa? They’ve only had nine such games all season long. Including merely three since the All-Star Break.
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A huge part of the Jackets’ power-play resurgence has been Werenski. Something was off with him during the regular season, but he seems to have found himself. Werenski is back to being a lethal threat, especially when shooting it, as Tampa found it during that goal which made it 2-0 Columbus.
On the other end of special teams, the Jackets were wise to mostly stay out of the penalty box. But they killed Tampa’s only power-play opportunity. For the series, Columbus has now killed each of their four penalties.
1. Frustration Setting In
For the first time, the Lightning are experiencing adversity. And they’re not handling it particularly well. Seeing how Tampa would respond to the Jackets’ four unanswered in Game 1 was one of the top storylines going into Game 2.
How did they respond? Only with arguably their worst performance of the season. In a game about as close to a “must-win game” without actually being one, the Lightning looked out of sorts and their frustrations started showing. Tampa couldn’t answer when Columbus opened with two goals.
Even when the Bolts got a third-period goal from Mikhail Sergachev, giving them some life, they followed up by allowing goals to Riley Nash (who only had three goals during the regular season) and Artemi Panarin.
This is extremely unexpected to see from Tampa. Throughout the regular season, they looked as dominant as any team in the salary cap era. Now the Lightning find themselves with their backs against the wall with a 2-0 deficit.
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The series is far from over. Just ask the Blue Jackets from last year, who found themselves up 2-0 on the Washington Capitals before they won the next four games. However, history would need to repeat itself. At least the Capitals had Braden Holtby and the fact that each of the first two games in the series went to overtime on their side. The Lightning have nothing to hang their hat on. Game 3 might be their last chance to get back in this series.
For more 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage, check out our Stanley Cup Playoffs page.