As was the case heading into last Sunday’s game at Columbus, the Lightning really needed this one. The scenarios were similar. The Lightning entered both games having lost their previous two contests. Teams directly behind the Lightning in the Eastern Conference were gaining ground. And in both games, the Lightning responded with a solid performance and earned a critical win.
At points in the losses at Toronto and Dallas, the Lightning’s compete level dipped. That didn’t happen at any point against Arizona, though. The Lightning competed hard throughout, defended tenaciously and, in a game that was a nip-and-tuck affair, were able to grind out a victory.