Game 3 - It's Brian Boyle's World, We're All Merely Paying Rent

Game: 3

Opponent: at Boston

Did I watch Live?: Most of it

What Do You Mean Most of it? : I missed the first five minutes because I was still watching game 2.

Slacker: Thanks

Three Stars: 3. Steven Stamkos 2. Brian Boyle 1. Torey Krug

Worst Play: Matt Carle's high-sticking penalty at 11.01 of the second. Carle was battling in the corner, a Bruins player's stick got under his and lifted it up. Unfortunately the blade of Carle's stick caught Matt Belesky in the face and the ref's arm went up. Kind of unfortunate for Carle. Even more unfortunate the Bruins scored on the ensuing power play and tied the score.

Thoughts:

It's a little early in the season to try and find season long trends in a hockey team. The Lightning through three games have showed a certain tendency and it's not a good one. Tampa Bay started slow against Buffalo and Philadelphia but were able to get on the board first.

However, early on Monday, in their own personal hell that is the TD Garden in Boston they found themselves two goals behind less than halfway into the first period. The same TD Garden where they had not won in the regular season since March of 2010. Had they dug themselves too deep of a hole against a desperate Boston team looking for their first win?

Apparently not. Four minutes later the fourth line came through with a nifty goal. Vladimir Namestnikov brought the puck across the line, dropped it off to Victor Hedman who found an open Brian Boyle between the slots. Like the sniper he is Boyle snapped a shot over Tuukka Rask's shoulder for the first Lightning goal.

Momentum swung the Lightning's way and they scored five of the next six goals. Boyle would add a second goal in the second period as he broke up a Bruins pass with his skate and scored on a breakaway. It wasn't like he got open with his blazing speed. Instead he used his size to shake David Pastrnak off the way a hurricane shakes off a palm tree and then slid a little backhander under Rask's pads.

Steven Stamkos would score his first goal of his season, which was also the 500^th point of his career, on a signature one-timer from the left circle. In the third, Jonathan Drouin scored his first goal of the season with a hesitating slap/wrist shot that completely fooled Rask. Valterri Filppula used his skate to deflect in a pass from Alex Killorn to cap off the scoring. Filppula has two points on the season, he hasn't used his stick for either one.

Three games in and three slow starts. Hopefully that ends on Tuesday against Detroit. The Red Wings have scored 8 goals in their first two games this season. They also have a bit of a chip on their shoulder after the Lightning bounced them from the playoffs this season.

Jo or Johnny:

Johnny Hockey had the day off so Jonathan Drouin was able to chip away at this lead with his first goal of the season. Gaudreau leads 4-3 with a game in hand.