Carlson Finds the Twine, but Lightning Fall in Nashville
The Tampa Bay defenceman scored early and finished plus two, yet the night ended with the Lightning short of the win.
John Carlson scored and added an assist for Tampa Bay, and it still was not enough. The Lightning lost 5-4 to the Predators in a game that went past regulation.
His goal came in the 1st period at 13:38, at even strength. He finished with 1 goal and 1 assist, plus 2, and 5 shots on goal in 19:11 of ice time over 20 shifts. That ranked seventh among the team's 18 skaters and third among its six defencemen. He also blocked a shot and gave the puck away once.
Against his season, it was a busy shooting night. He came in with 5 goals and 3 assists through 13 games and 36 shots, so five shots in one game is a sizeable share of his season total. His ice time sat right at his season average of 19.2 minutes.
The points came at even strength, with none on the power play.
The Lightning are 8-3-1 and hold the first wild-card spot. This one counts as a loss in the standings.