National Hockey League
Tampa Bay 5, Chicago 2
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, January 15, 2021
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
Referees: Francis Charron, Jean Hebert
Linesmen: Greg Devorski, Jesse Marquis
Attendance: N/A

For the second consecutive game, Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat scored to spark a three-goal period, and the host Lightning beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Friday.

Palat, Alex Killorn and Blake Coleman -- on three different forward lines -- produced tallies in the second period, with the goals coming in a span of 5:46 to create a sizable advantage for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Yanni Gourde, Steven Stamkos, Palat and Coleman each had goal and an assist while Barclay Goodrow dished out two helpers for the Lightning, who swept the two games from Chicago aided by five combined points from Stamkos.

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 35 saves on 37 shots to go to 2-0-0.

Alex DeBrincat notched a goal and an assist and Patrick Kane scored his first of the season for the Blackhawks. Goaltender Collin Delia made his first start this season for Chicago and stopped 32 of 37 shots.

Two days after Tampa Bay's three-goal, first-period explosion resulted in a season-opening 5-1 win, Chicago matched the tempo of the speedy Lightning early, limiting their offensive chances and posting a 13-10 shot advantage in the first period.

Delia's best moment in the frame was a strong save on Anthony Cirelli on a breakaway at 10:30. After giving up allowing a pair of power-play goals Wednesday, the Blackhawks killed the period's lone man advantage.

However, as he did in the opener, Palat broke the ice for the home side, but it was a gift-wrapped marker off a mistake by Delia as the backstop was trying to pass to defenseman Duncan Keith behind the goal.

Delia went to play the puck, but Stamkos stole the pass and fed Palat, who fired home his second marker at 2:25 of the second -- but only after Keith got a piece of the shot while leaping back in front of the net and past the fallen Delia.

Killorn roofed in his first goal at 4:43, and Coleman -- deep in the netminder's blue paint -- backhanded in a loose puck at 8:11 for a 3-0 edge as the Lightning swarmed the Blackhawks' defense.

But DeBrincat scored a power-play goal at 14:20 of the second, then fed Kane for a backhander to trim the gap to 3-2 less than two minutes later as the visitors got back in it.

Gourde and Stamkos netted goals in the latter half of the third period, and the Lightning cruised to their second victory.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Chicago   Tampa Bay
Alex DeBrincat 2 Points Blake Coleman 2
Alex DeBrincat 1 Goals Blake Coleman 1
Alex DeBrincat 1 Assists Barclay Goodrow 2
Alex DeBrincat 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Collin Delia .865 Save Percentage Andrei Vasilevskiy .946
Collin Delia 32 Saves Andrei Vasilevskiy 35
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Chicago 37 2 1-4 3-3 6 24
Tampa Bay 37 5 0-3 3-4 8 24
Upcoming Games
  • Tampa Bay will play their next game at home against Dallas. The Lightning have a W/L % of 1.000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game on the road against Florida. The Blackhawks have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.