TAMPA | Midway through the second period, Johnathan Kovacevic scored an unanswered goal from 150 feet away. Martin St-Louis had never seen a game like this, but this strange sequence finally gave the Lightning wings.
• Also read: WATCH: CH scores a very strange goal
• Also read: Another loss in Florida for CH
There are scenes that cannot be invented. Kovacevic's goal was one of them in the Canadian's 3-4 loss to the Lightning on Sunday at Amalie Arena.
Thinking about stopping play, the Lightning players stopped play and goalkeeper Jonas Johansson began his routine by coming out of his net to run, as he always does between whistles. Even the DJ in the amphitheater had the music on.
But Kovacevic never gave up on this move. He sensed a good deal when he took a long-range shot when there was no goalkeeper left.
“It was very loud in the building,” Kovacevic recalled in the opposing team’s locker room. I didn't see any Lightning players near me. I decided to continue the game. I saw Andy (Josh Anderson) who was free, but then I saw the goalie running away from his net. I was not sure. But I suspected that the referees hadn't blown the whistle. I had to get there in one fell swoop. Calculating risk and reward was too important not to try. I swear I didn't hear the whistle. »
“This is the strangest goal of my career,” he continued. But it's unfortunate because that goal marked a turning point for the Lightning. The fans were so mad at the referees. And the lightning was angry too. After that game it was exciting. We played a good game without winning. »
When Kovacevic scored, it was 2-0 for the guests. However, the Lightning rebounded with four unanswered goals, including two before the end of the second period.
Montembeault blamed himself
Brayden Point and Austin Watson took turns hitting Samuel Montembeault before the end of the second period.
“We scored a weird goal with Kovacevic, but the Lightning also scored a weird goal when the puck bounced to Monty (Montembeault),” defenseman David Savard said. As far as I'm concerned, we were level thanks to lucky goals. The audience also woke up after Anderson's big hit. There was atmosphere. »
Anderson knocked defender Erik Cernak to the ground with a hard hit behind Johansson's goal.
Montembeault was thwarted four times in 20 shots and shared some of the blame for the defeat.
“I scored a bad goal at the end of the second period and it cost us the win,” he admitted. I find it a pity. The puck bounced. As I was doing my reading, I saw a Lightning forward charging for a comeback. I didn't want to get everyone together to give feedback to the enclave. I tried to push the puck away with my stick or pad, but it went over me. »
Positive in defeat
After defeats in Raleigh and Sunrise, the Canadian continued this part of the trip after Christmas with another defeat. A third in a row. But the end result was not a perfect indicator.
The Habs dominated the Lightning 30-20 shooting and 63-49 shooting.
“It's difficult not to get the result because we dominated a lot of this game,” St-Louis said. It is extremely encouraging. I am proud of our work and play as a team. It's demoralizing when you don't get the result, but we will get back to work to get the result we deserve. »
Getty Images via AFP
If there is a difference between the Canadians and the Lightning, it can be explained by the presence of elite players in the Tampa camp. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman fueled the lightning attack in the third period in a crucial moment of the game. And Brayden Point revived his team by responding less than three minutes after Kovacevic's strange goal.
At CH there is no Kucherov, Point or Hedman.