WATCH: Nashville Predators Blow Out Tampa Bay Lightning 7-2 to Conclude Four-Game Road Trip
By Jacob Lynn, Tampa Bay Lightning // April 14, 2021
ABOVE VIDEO: Extended highlights of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Nashville Predators.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (Tampa Bay Lightning) – It was an ugly end to this four-game road trip for the Lightning. Nashville stormed out to a three-goal lead and never looked back, as they handed the Bolts a 7-2 defeat at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night.
With the loss, Tampa Bay finishes the regular season series 6-2-0 against Nashville.
Goals less than two minutes apart from Colton Sissons and Roman Josi put the Bolts down by two before the midway point of the first period. Sissons snapped a shot from the left wing past Curtis McElhinney at 6:38 of the first period and Josi followed in rapid succession, taking the shot himself on a 2-on-1 rush.
Another odd man rush ended up in the back of the Lightning net late in the period, with Viktor Arvidsson gathering Ryan Johansen’s cross-ice feed and one-timing his shot past McElhinney to put the Predators up 3-0.
The Bolts pulled back within two on a Brayden Point power play goal in the opening minute of the second period. Victor Hedman stepped to the top of the slot and fired a shot that deflected off Point and past Juuse Saros to get Tampa Bay on the board.
The Lightning carried play for much of the early going in the second period but any momentum they had was wiped away when Rocco Grimaldi scored at the 8:09 mark to restore Nashville’s two goal lead. Arvidsson set up the play for the Predators, sending a feed to Johansen the slot that was fought off by McElhinney but Grimaldi was there to pounce on the rebound to make it 4-1.
Arvidsson piled on midway through the third, springing free on a breakaway and beating McElhinney with a shot to the stick side.
The Bolts answered less than two minutes later, with Yanni Gourde grabbing his own rebound and firing it past Saros. That would be as close as Tampa Bay would get, however, as Tanner Jeannot and Mikael Granlund added goals down the stretch to round out the scoring.
There were several changes to the Lightning’s lineup. David Savard made his Bolts debut, beginning the game skating on the top defensive pair with Victor Hedman. Also on defense, Luke Schenn came in for Cal Foote.
Mitchell Stephens drew back into the lineup for the first time since suffering an injury back in January and skated 9:51.
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