Lightning end preseason with win over Florida
TAMPA — The Lightning’s 5-2 preseason-finale win over the Panthers at Amalie Arena on Saturday wasn’t perfect, but Tampa Bay looked like a team ready for the regular season.
“The more reps you get, the more comfortable you are, and I think [Saturday] was a lot better in that aspect,” forward Brayden Point said. “I liked our playmaking, our skating. I thought we were comfortable with the puck. We weren’t afraid to make some plays, and I thought our guys were moving.”
Forward Vladislav Namestnikov recorded a hat trick less than halfway into the game. Namestnikov has been the most impactful newcomer in the lineup, finishing the preseason with a team-high five goals. Forward Corey Perry assisted on all three Namestnikov goals, and forward Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist.
Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (lowerbody injury) didn’t play, and captain Steven Stamkos didn’t dress, either. Coach Jon Cooper said both would be ready for Tuesday’s opener against the Rangers in New York.
Namestnikov can help the Lightning in a variety of ways. With Stamkos not playing Saturday, Namestnikov jumped into the first power-play unit and scored one man-advantage goal and assisted on another. His powerplay goal came as the Lightning experimented with an all-forward look in a 5-on-3, burying a shot from the far post following Perry’s crosscrease pass.
Namestnikov also scored twice centering the third line and has shown all preseason that he has a nose for the net.
“It’s obviously a little adjustment,” he said of rejoining the Lightning, who drafted him in 2011, traded him in 2018 and brought him back in free agency in this offseason. “You kind of have to get used to everything new, but you just go out there and play hockey, make reads and … have fun.”
For Point, this week’s final two preseason games were all about getting his legs back. It looks like he has his speed back coming off a quad muscle injury suffered in the first round of last season’s playoffs that impacted the rest of his postseason, and he had some opportunities Saturday, including a breakaway he couldn’t convert.