John Carlson gave Tampa Bay exactly the blue-line finish it paid for, scoring twice in the Lightning’s 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild at Benchmark International Arena on Thursday. The veteran defenseman’s first goals in a Lightning sweater helped Tampa Bay complete a perfect three-game homestand.
Anthony Cirelli added a goal, Nikita Kucherov set up two, and Dennis Hildeby stopped 34 shots in his Tampa Bay debut. The Lightning moved to 3-1-0, while Minnesota fell to 2-1-1 after its second straight defeat.
Carlson strikes early and on the power play
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Cirelli opened the scoring at 5:26 of the first period. Erik Cernak fired from the point, and Cirelli got his stick on the puck in front to steer it past Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
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Just 36 seconds later, Carlson doubled the lead with a point wrist shot. Gage Goncalves screened Wallstedt as Carlson’s shot found its way through for a 2-0 Tampa Bay advantage.
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Minnesota pushed back early in the second period when Quinn Hughes sent a shot from the middle of the blue line through traffic at 2:32. The puck beat Hildeby and pulled the Wild within one.
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Carlson restored the two-goal cushion at 4:55 of the middle frame. Working on the power play, he hammered a one-timer from the high slot after Kucherov fed him for his second of the night.
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Blake Coleman gave Minnesota a late lifeline, scoring on the power play at 14:01 of the second. Kirill Kaprizov found Coleman in the left circle, where he beat Hildeby over the glove to make it 3-2.
Hildeby closes the door in Lightning debut
The Wild could not find an equalizer after Coleman’s goal despite putting 36 shots on Hildeby. The goaltender, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, made 34 saves in his first appearance for Tampa Bay.
Wallstedt turned aside 32 shots for Minnesota. Hughes finished with a goal and an assist, but the Wild could not erase the early damage from Tampa Bay’s defense corps.
Carlson joined the Lightning on July 1 on a two-year contract worth $17 million, carrying an $8.5 million average annual value. His first two goals with the club arrived at a timely moment, helping Tampa Bay sweep its home stand and giving the new-look blue line a decisive night at the rink.
