Lightning strikes as Bruins’ undefeated streak gets electrocuted
After two straight losses to open the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are back in the win column as they ruin the Bruins’ undefeated start with a 4-3 win to open week two of matches.
Lightning center, Anthony Cirelli led the Lightning offense with two goals. Right winger, Pontus Holmberg and center Yanni Gourde each had a goal as well and Jake Guentzel and Gage Goncalves
The Lightning commanded the first period. Cirelli opened the scoring with a goal just over a minute in to the match on assists by Guentzel and Goncalves; He scored his second goal of the match 12 minutes later with 6:44 remaining in the period. In the same sequence of events, Guentzel and Goncalves had the assists.
The Lightning got off to another quick start in the second period as just :40 seconds in Gourdi split the posts for Tampa’s third goal of the day to extend their lead. Holmberg and Moser had the assists.
The Bruins got on the scoreboard a minute later with 18:51 left in the period as Casey Mittelstadt broke through the Lightning defense for the first time on Monday. He was assisted by
The Lightning answered back with 16:23 remaining as Holmberg had his first goal of the afternoon on assists by Bjorkstrand and Crozier.
The Bruins then responded right back with back-to-back goals to bring the Lightning lead within one.
That’s where the score remained as neither squad was able to put a goal in the net in the third period. The Lightning had five shots on goal and the Bruins had 10. In total, the Bruins out-shot Tampa 33-23, but ultimately, the Lightning were able to put the puck between the net when they needed to and that was the difference as the Bruins undefeated streak was ruined and the Lightning put a “W” in the win column.
The Lightning (1-2-0) are back on the ice on Tuesday against the Washington Capitols (2-1-0). Puck drops in Washington at 7:00 PM EDT. This will be the first of three matches between the Capitols and Lightning.
Chiefs fans will like to see Brian Branch's fate after post-SNF cheap shot
The Kansas City Chiefs managed to take down a Detroit Lions team that came into their Sunday Night Week 6 duel with plenty of momentum, but Brian Branch and his defense eventually fell flat on the field before humiliating themselves off the field.
Frustrated with what he believes to be poor refereeing missing multiple instances of the Chiefs going out of their way to knock him around, Branch started a postgame brawl that ended with JuJu Smith-Schuster getting decked in the face and needing some cloth up his nose in the immediate aftermath.
Fans who were hoping for the NFL to come down with a very punitive sentence will be relieved to hear that Branch has been suspended one game without pay by the league for his actions after the game. Even with how apologetic everyone was when things simmered down, that doesn't change the fact that he was clearly in the wrong here.
Lions DB Brian Branch suspended one game after Chiefs punch
To give Branch some credit, he did acknowledge that he was in the wrong for reacting the way he did in the locker room. Lions head coach Dan Campbell called the action "unacceptable" and said that playing like that is not what the Lions try to represent.
Branch, and the Lions secondary as a whole, did noy have a game to write home about against Mahomes and this receiver room in their final performance before the return of Rashee Rice. With Mahomes accounting for four touchdowns, three of which came through the air, it became clear that this secondary was ill-prepared for Kansas City.
Branch is appealing his suspension, but a denial of said appeal would lead to him missing a Monday Night Football duel against the red-hot Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This Bucs passing game is not the best one to be down a possible All-Pro defensive back.
Branch has been swiftly dealt with after some childish attempts to get back at Smith-Schuster. Not only did Kansas City pick up the much-needed home win, but they did so while indirectly leading to one of Detroit's key players sabotaging his availability for Week 7.
