TAMPA - Defenseman John Carlson scored twice and Dennis Hildeby stopped 34 shots in his Lightning debut as Tampa Bay defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 to sweep a three-game homestand.
Carlson, who finished with nine shots on goal, put the Lightning ahead 2-0 with a wristed center-point shot past a screened Jesper Wallstedt at 6:02 of the first period, then added a power-play one-timer from the slot at 4:55 of the second - the Lightning’s first power-play goal of the season. Phil Esposito, selecting the Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game, named Carlson the top star.
The Lightning seized control early. The line of Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Jake Guentzel sustained a lengthy offensive-zone shift that ended with Cirelli tipping in a point shot from Erik Cernak at 5:26 of the first period. Tampa Bay then outattempted Minnesota 32-16 in the opening frame and decisively outchanced the Wild throughout.
Minnesota, coming off an overtime loss in Buffalo, clawed back. Quinn Hughes cut the deficit to one with a wrister from the blue line that beat a screened Hildeby at 2:32 of the second period. Former Lightning forward Blake Coleman then pulled the Wild within one, lifting a left-circle shot over Hildeby’s glove off the rush at 14:01 of the second.
The teams combined for 27 shots in the third period, but neither Hildeby nor Wallstedt yielded. Wallstedt, making his first-ever appearance against Tampa Bay, finished with 32 saves. Esposito named both goaltenders among his three stars, with Hildeby second and Wallstedt third.
The Lightning carry their momentum on the road Saturday when they open a two-game trip against the New York Islanders.