Tampa Bay Lightning Strikes Down Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena

The Tampa Bay Lightning's season record improved to an impressive tally after a decisive victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, with the final scoreboard reading 4-2. The Blue Jackets' efforts were not enough to overcome the deficit, leaving their record more modest in comparison.

The game at Nationwide Arena was a showcase of Tampa Bay's offensive capabilities and solid defense. The Lightning dominated with a total of 37 shots on goal and successfully converted 11 percent of those attempts into scores. Their powerplay unit capitalized on opportunities by scoring twice out of three chances, demonstrating their effectiveness during man-advantage situations.

Tampa Bay's goaltender played a pivotal role in securing the win, making an outstanding 33 saves and shutting down all but two of the 35 shots he faced from Columbus. This performance was crucial in maintaining the lead that Tampa Bay established early on.

On special teams, Tampa Bay outperformed Columbus by executing two powerplay goals while also holding strong when shorthanded, allowing only one goal despite facing seven shots. The team's discipline was evident as they spent only 15 minutes in penalty time across six infractions.

Faceoffs were another area where Tampa Bay showed superiority with a winning percentage of 55 percent overall. They won nearly six out of ten faceoffs during even-strength play which helped control the game flow and maintain possession.

Columbus put up a valiant fight throughout the match. They managed to score once on their powerplay and added another goal during even-strength play but fell short against Tampa Bay’s defensive efforts. With an equal number of hits as their opponents and six takeaways, they tried to disrupt Tampa Bay’s rhythm but ultimately could not overturn their opponent’s lead.

Looking ahead for fans eager to follow their team's progress: The next challenge for the Tampa Bay Lightning will be against Boston Bruins at TD Garden on February 14th at midnight UTC (7 PM Eastern Time). Fans can catch this matchup live through various broadcast networks including ESPN+ online or BSSUN channel 653 for away coverage.