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| Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning - PKS Consulting LLC |
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Game Notes:
The Carolina Hurricanes face the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday.
The Hurricanes are nursing their wounds during a 1-8-1 run during their last 10 games as the loss of defenseman Joni Pitkanen during a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, has added to the teams physically depleted lineup.
Even while struggling to earn wins, the Hurricanes are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, just four points behind the Southeast Division-leading Winnipeg Jets with three games in hand as well.
The Lightning are only two points behind the Hurricanes as they also continue to join in the chase to catch the Jets.
Commentary for each period will follow on the hour.
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Before the puck drops:
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1st Period
Both teams came out with energy on the forecheck as they played to a scoreless tie after 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes tested newly acquired Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop, a 6-foot-7-inch monster, often with 16 total shots while the Lightning threatened with a more efficient total of nine attempts on Carolina goalie Dan Ellis.
Tampa Bay won 12-of17 faceoffs to lead to their dominance in puck possession in the Carolina zone during the period.
The Lighting got an early power play opportunity after Carolina's Patrick Dwyer was penalized for boarding, but the Hurricanes were able to successfully kill it off while getting a few chances to score a shorthanded goal themselves.
As the period neared an end, he Hurricanes had the best opportunity between the two teams to score as Alexander Semin picked the puck from the Lightning's Dana Tyrell just inside the Carolina blueline and he went the other way with Eric Staal on a two-on-one sequence into the Tampa Bay zone.
As they completed a pretty tic-tac-toe passing display past defenseman Sami Salo, the play ended with Semin directing the puck into the net and past Bishop.
However, the goal was sent to video review and was subsequently ruled as no goal and that Semin had redirected the puck into the net with his skate, and was unable to get his stick on it.
End of Period: Carolina 0, Tampa Bay 0
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2nd Period
A tale of two periods - completely different periods.
What started as a scoreless display changed into a three-goal differential in a matter of twenty minutes as the Lightning found the net in the beginning and latter part of the period, to put a strangle hold on the Hurricanes once again.
Teddy Purcell scored just 28 seconds into the period after Matt Carle's point shot was saved by Ellis, but the Lightning forward cleaned up the rebound to put Tampa Bay ahead 1-0.
The Lightning outshot the Hurricanes 13-12 during the period and really controlled play at both ends.
Bishop continued to stymie Carolina's forwards particularly during a two-man advantage early in the period.
At the other end, the Lightning took a 2-0 lead at the 15:55 mark after Tom Pyatt tipped in an Alex Killorn shot after Tampa Bay won the faceoff back to Eric Brewer who fed Killorn the puck before he put it on net.
The Hurricanes' misery continued into the final minute of play when Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos worked the puck back to the right point and Keith Aulie's shot beat Ellis high and under the cross bar to put the Lightning ahead 3-0.
End of Period: Tampa Bay 3, Carolina 0
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3rd Period
The Lightning continued where they left off as Martin St. Louis finishes a give-n'-go with Benoit Pouliot to extend the lead to 4-0 just 2:24 into the period.
St. Louis picked the puck from Dwyer inside the Hurricanes zone and passed it to Pouliot on the wing who fed it back to the quick winger who let a one-timer from go between the faceoff circles into a wide-open net past a sliding Ellis.
Tampa Bay didn't stop there as St. Louis and Stamkos once again worked the puck to one another before finding Pouliot who extended the lead to 5-0 with 12:30 remaining to play.
Final: Tampa Bay 5, Carolina 0
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