The Hockey News - Greatest Games (USA)
LIKE A BOLT OF LIGHTNING
Columbus shocked with Game 1 rally against mighty Tampa Bay en route to first playoff series win
Tdown 3-0 to Tampa HE BLUE JACKETS WERE Binatyo Gjuasmt e201 mofintuhteeisr 2019 first-round series – pretty much exactly how the hockey world expected this playoff matchup to go. The Lightning hwaidns tiinedtheanregNuHlaLr sreeacsornd. Tfhoer Blue Jackets were the last team to qualify for the post-season. Would Tampa Bay even break a swIenathine tohpisensienrgiems?inute of the second period, Lightning snipers Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov were left alone in front of Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who lunged to h“Iifsiltegftetsotsoto4p-0a, wKuec’rheeprorovbsahbolty. dead,” said Columbus coach John Tortorella. lifeBuwthetnhecapBtlauien NJaickeFtsolihgnado psceorrioed taot m9:a1k5e oitf 3th-1e. sSelocownlyd, the ice began to tilt in a worried Amalie Arena.
At 7:56 of the third, stay-atthooem-derdagegfeendsemhiasn wDavyidaSraovuanrd LHiegdhmtnainganstdarscbolrueedlintoermVaikcetoirt 3-2. It’s the only goal of Savard’s sptlanyodfaf scahriesecraarneedrwhilglhplrigohbta.bly
The Blue Jackets faced a fourminute penalty kill midway cthoruoldungh’t tshloewthtihrde,irbumtoemveen tuhmat – Josh Anderson scored shorthAafnedwedmaint u1t1e:s54lateort, iSeeitthaJto3n-e3s. gave Columbus its first lead of mthaekgeaimt 4e-,3a. power-play goal to fraTnhcheimseoshtisitmorpyrogboatbltehewiBnluine fJiarcsktetpslaoyffofafndserruiensninwgint.o Ttheeiyr sgwreeapttfiTrasmt-rpoaunBdayuipnseotnseinofNtHhLe history.