Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in high scoring affair
Of the 35 goals scored in the five games played around the league on Thursday 18 November, 15 of them came in a single game. Twenty-eight of the 36 skaters in the meeting between the Tampa Bay Lightning
and the Philadelphia Flyers collected points as the Lightning outscored the Flyers by a score of 8-7.
How it happened
Both teams scored early and often with nine goals being scored in the first period and leading to both starting goalies being pulled. The Lightning's Dan Ellis didn't even make it through to the end of
the period after giving up four goals on 10 shots and being replaced by Mike Smith. Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky wasn't much better in goal for the Flyers giving up four goals on 11 shots. Brian Boucher came out to start the second period even though the
Flyers were leading 5-4 at the end of the first.
The Lightning rallied back in the second period outscoring the Flyers 3-2, to send the game into the third tied at 7-7.
The game tightened up in the third period with the Lightning scoring the only goal and the eventual winner. Nate Thompson got his third of the season at 5:19 to get Tampa the win.
Tampa forwards Steven Stamkos and Martin St.Louis led the way on the score sheet as each collected five points. Stamkos recorded a hat trick bringing his season total to 19 after 19 games. St. Louis had
five assists on the night,
What they're saying
The 15 goals scored in the game were the most this season. The Lightning were involved the last time 15 goals were scored in a game when they lost 9-6 to Calgary Flames back in 2007.
"I've never been part of anything like this even going back to minor hockey," Stamkos told reporters after the game. "It was like we were back in the 80s, everyone was rocking the moustaches on the ice,
the goals were coming left, right and center. It was a flashback, but it was an exciting game to be a part of. I guess for the goalies it was tough, but everything just seemed to find the net."
Everybody on both sides admitted it was one of the strangest games they had been involved in.
"A hero is the guy that lasts just a little longer than the other one, and we did," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. "To say we were happy with the way the game was played, that's probably the weirdest
game I've ever been involved in at any level."
The Flyers now get set to take on Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals who have scored more goals than any other team. They play on Saturday 20 November.
The Lightning prepare to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
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