Sports
Lightning lose on late goal in Edmonton
Lightning lose on late goal in Edmonton
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan (No 24) battles for the puck with Edmonton Oilers left wing Taylor Hall (No 4) during the first period at Rexall Place. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports
By Erik Erlendsson/Tampa Tribune (MCT)
Plenty of eyes were zeroed in on the NHL debut of highly regarded Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jonathan Drouin on Monday night in Edmonton.
But it was the Oilers’ young guns that took it to the Lightning.
Taylor Hall scored on a penalty shot, defenseman Justin Schultz added another while former No. 1 overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the winner late as previous winless Edmonton knocked off Tampa Bay 3-2 at Rexall Place.
Brian Boyle scored his first goal of the season while Brett Connolly, who earlier in the game had a goal waved off, had a tying goal with 6:05 left in the third period. Ben Bishop made 19 saves as Tampa Bay (3-2-1) allowed more than two goals in a game for the first time this season.
All the buzz surrounding Drouin’s debut, made possible as Alex Killorn was a scratch after getting injured during the morning skate, did not result in a fairy tale beginning, as he finished with one shot on goal -- which came on a solid wraparound chance -- and two takeaways in 15 minutes, 49 seconds of ice time.
“It’s exciting. You’re nervous. You don’t know what to expect, really,” Drouin told Sun Sports during the first intermission. “You’re more skating around and trying to follow the guys on the ice. But the speed came up a little better at the end of the period and I made some plays.”
After a scoreless first period, Boyle put Tampa Bay on the board when his attempted pass through the crease hit the skate of Edmonton defenseman Justin Schultz and tucked inside the near post as Scrivens was sliding across to play the pass at 1:22. Schultz would get some payback, however, as he cut down the right wing side minutes later, cut to his left and put in a backhander that appeared to be going wide until it hit the knob of Bishop’s stick at 4:36 to pull the Oilers even.
From that point on, Edmonton appeared to grab the momentum. Edmonton utilized its speed as Hall was sprung on a breakaway chance before getting hooked by Matt Carle, resulting in a penalty shot at 14:57 of the second period. The Lightning, meanwhile, already playing without Killorn, lost Ryan Callahan late in the second period as he appeared to be favouring his leg and did not return with what the team called a lower body injury.
Connolly would get his second of the season when he one-timed in a pass from Tyler Johnson with 6:05 left in the third. But two costly turnovers in the defensive zone allowed Edmonton to pin the Lightning and eventually Jordan Eberle fed Nugent-Hopkins for the game winner with 3:25 left in the game.