First-round opponent still unknown after loss
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Tampa Bay Lightning will enter their final game of the regular season still not knowing their first-round playoff opponent.
They could have clinched third place in the Atlantic Division with a win Thursday and set up an opening-round date with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Instead, because of a 5-2 loss in Columbus and Boston’s 5-0 win over Buffalo, Tampa Bay will go into Friday’s regular-season finale against the Islanders unsure of whether it will open the playoffs at Toronto or Carolina.
The Lightning arrived in Columbus playing some of their best all-around hockey of the season. But they came out sluggish and sloppy in their penultimate game of the regular season, failing to register a shot for more than nine minutes before Mikhail Sergachev rifled one from the point.
About 30 seconds later, Tampa Bay had a goal taken off the scoreboard. Pat Maroon cleaned up a loose puck in the paint after teammate Corey Perry stumbled over Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins in traffic. The Blue Jackets challenged the goal and, following a lengthy review, Perry was penalized for goaltender interference, negating the goal.
The Blue Jackets went up 1-0 when Kent Johnson found Jacob Voracek for a wide-open shot along the near post with just under four minutes left in the period.
The Lightning power play, which had operated at a 52.6% success rate over the previous six games, also started off slow before Nikita Kucherov scored on the man-advantage with 9:45 left in the second period to tie the score at 1. Kucherov’s snap shot from the right circle gave him a goal in eight consecutive games, tying Brian Bradley for the longest streak in Lightning history.
But Columbus answered 32 seconds later, when Oliver Bjorkstrand got away from Ryan McDonagh behind the net and found Cole Sillinger wide open in front, putting the Blue Jackets back ahead.
The Lightning play their best when they are physical — and a little angry. And the second period ended with with Perry and Merzlikins swinging at each other in the Columbus net.
As the period drew to a close, Maroon was positioned in the paint looking for a redirection opportunity, and he and Merzlikins swiped at each other’s sticks. Maroon drew a crowd of Blue Jackets, and when Perry came to help his teammate, Merzlikins swung at Perry with his blocker.
Maroon, however, was called for an extra penalty (roughing and slashing) and the Blue Jackets quickly as Jack Roslovic scored 15 seconds into the third period.
Almost nine minutes later, Bjorkstrand chased down a loose puck in the neutral zone, charged into the Lightning zone and unloaded a wrister from the right circle that rode up Erik Cernak’s stick and past Elliott.
Perry brought the Lightning back to within 4-2 with a power-play goal with just more than three minutes remaining, but Andrew Peeke restored the Blue Jackets’ three-goal lead with an empty-net goal with 1:51 left.
Backup Brian Elliott kept the Lightning in the game despite facing consistent pressure, stopping 30-of-34 shots.