Jeffrey Viel scored twice and Dennis Hildeby made 23 saves, but the Tampa Bay Lightning lost 3-2 in overtime to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.
Viel gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead before Nashville scored three unanswered goals. Matthew Wood scored twice in the third period to force overtime, and Felix Nilsson scored the winner 2:30 into the extra period.
“A lot more good than bad from tonight,” head coach Jon Cooper said. “It’s unfortunate, you want to walk away from the game with the win, but I think it was a growing moment for a lot of the players.”
Jeffrey Viel gives Tampa Bay Lightning early lead
Viel opened the scoring 3 minutes, 44 seconds into the second period. Zemgus Girgensons forced a turnover at the offensive blue line, and Viel collected the puck before skating to the left hashmark and beating Nashville goaltender Justus Annunen through the leg pads.
Viel scored again five minutes into the third period to put the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead 2-0. Pontus Holmberg set up the goal with a pass to the left post, while Tomas Kralovic earned the secondary assist.
The 29-year-old forward signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a five-year contract in free agency during the summer. Viel played on a line with Holmberg and Girgensons, and the group created pressure on the forecheck.
“Me, Holms and Girgy are trying to build some chemistry, and I think today we got in on the forecheck and were able to make plays and obviously a couple of those paid off,” Viel said. “But it’s a process and it’s about building on it.”
Dennis Hildeby makes 23 saves
Hildeby made 23 saves for the Tampa Bay Lightning and helped preserve the two-goal advantage before Nashville rallied. The goaltender was acquired in a July trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs and is set to be part of the Tampa Bay goalie tandem alongside Andrei Vasilevskiy.
“He was the biggest reason we were in the game for the whole game,” Viel said of Hildeby. “He was outstanding. He was standing on his head the whole time when we had breakdowns in the D-zone. Great, great game.”
Conor Geekie also credited Hildeby after the Nashville comeback. “I think we played a good 50 minutes,” Geekie said. “We bent a little bit toward the end. I think Hildy stood on his head. At the end of the day you learn from it, learn from your mistakes and just come back for the next one.”
Nashville Predators rally in third period
Matthew Wood scored twice in the third period to erase the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2-0 lead and send the game to overtime. His first goal came on a tipped point shot, and his second was a power move to the net.
Nilsson ended the game with a shot from the right hashmark 2:30 into overtime. The goal completed Nashville’s comeback after the Predators had surrendered a two-goal deficit.
The Tampa Bay Lightning went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. Charle-Edouard D’Astous led the team in ice time at 24:28.
What comes next for the Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning will continue preseason action at 7 p.m. Thursday when the Florida Panthers visit Benchmark International Arena. The game follows a night in which Tampa Bay received two goals from Viel and a 23-save performance from Hildeby.
Tampa Bay also will look to build on the positive stretches noted by Cooper while responding to Nashville’s three-goal rally. The Lightning held the lead until the Predators forced overtime and secured the win.
FSB Take
Viel’s two-goal performance and Hildeby’s 23 saves were the clearest positives for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tuesday’s preseason game. Tampa Bay also received a strong penalty-killing effort, going 2-for-2, but could not protect its 2-0 lead. The Lightning will return to action Thursday against the Florida Panthers at Benchmark International Arena.
Source: Original report