You know how big Lightning forward Jonathan Marchessault is?
He’s as big as a shootout. He’s as big as a winning streak. He’s as big as his moment on Wednesday night that led to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Marchessault, the diminutive (he’s listed at 5-9, 175) player) has been fairly large for the Lightning lately. His assist set up an opening goal by Tyler Johnson, and his score to lead off a shootout was the team’s first shootout goal of the season (after six misses). Marchessault, who scored his first goal on Saturday night, has given his team energy since his call-up.
“Every night, he gets a chance, or he helps someone else get a chance,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Valterri Filppula also scored in the shootout as the Lightning won its third straight game, the first winning streak that long for the Bolts since the season’s opening three games.
Milan Lucic had scored with a little over five minutes left to force overtime (scoreless) and the shootout.
For Tampa Bay, goaltender Ben Bishop stopped 37 shots. He is now 4-0-1 in his last five games. “Bish has been bailing us out when we needed it,” Cooper said.
“The guys came up big in the shootout with a couple of goals,” Bishop said. “I thought we played really well recently, but tonight wasn’t our best game. But that’s what good teams do; they find a way to win when they don’t play their best and tonight was a case of that.”
Marchessault said his thoughts were simple when Cooper instructed him to lead off in the shootout. “I’ve got to score,” he said.
The Lightning plays at Washington on Friday.
