They started the season slow, but make it three in a row now for the surging Bolts. The Lightning’s 5-2 win over Nashville showed just how well this group can play when everything clicks on both sides of the puck. The thunder is rolling for Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up their third straight win when they took down the Nashville Predators , 5-2, on Tuesday night. In the latest matchup with former captain Steven Stamkos, they picked up the win again.
Depth played a key role in the Lightning’s win. Nine players got their names on the stat sheet, including a rookie who scored his first NHL goal. Lightning forward Charle-Edouard D’Astous scored his first in the winning effort.
Zemgus Girgensons opened the scoring in the game with his first goal of the season, halfway through the first period. This goal would be the lone score of the period. Brandon Hagel extended the league in the later minutes of the second period, making it 2-0 heading into the final period of play. Anthony Cirelli’s assist got him to his 300th career point.
The Predators cut the lead in half on Luke Evangelista’s first goal of the season. His goal was the only time either team capitalized on a power play in the game. D’Astous, with the aforementioned first career goal, made it a two-goal game again a couple of minutes later.
As the game got into the final minutes of regulation, Filip Forsberg made it a one-goal game again with the extra attacker on the ice. But Nikita Kucherov quickly scored the empty-net goal to put the dagger in. However, that wouldn’t be it for the scoring. Girgensons got things started, and he was able to pick up his second goal of the game to end it.
The Lightning are back on Thursday, heading back home to take on the Dallas Stars. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m., and it will be a nationally televised game on TNT. Meanwhile, the Predators will be back in action on Thursday as well. They head to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. CDT.
Three Stars of the Game
- Charle-Edouard D’Astous (first career goal)
- Brady Skjei (one assist)
- Zemgus Girgensons (two goals)
Red Sox Could Make 'Aggressive' Jarren Duran Trade, Per Insider
Boston Red Sox star Jarren Duran has to be resigned to the fact that his name will be in trade rumors as long as he's still on the team.
After he was a widely-discussed candidate to be moved at the July trade deadline, Duran stayed put, but struggled for the Red Sox in their brief postseason appearance. He's still a very talented player, though, and the reason he might get traded is that Boston would be getting something good back.
Is it possible Duran could still be traded to a team the Red Sox were in trade talks with right up until the 6 p.m. ET deadline on July 31?
Insider suggests Duran-Joe Ryan trade
On Wednesday, insider Ian Browne of MLB.com suggested that Duran could be the linchpin of a trade package to acquire Joe Ryan, the All-Star starting pitcher from the Minnesota Twins, to be their new No. 2 behind ace Garrett Crochet.
"Given that the Red Sox have the young, exciting trio of Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu in the outfield, Duran is a player they could package in a trade to fill another need," Browne wrote.
"If the Twins make starter Joe Ryan available via trade, expect Boston to be aggressive."
Ryan, 29, put up a 4.5-WAR season on the mound -- almost identical to what Duran did in the field. He was on pace to be a borderline Cy Young Award candidate until the trade deadline, after which he tapered off a bit, which was understandable because his team traded away just about all of his fellow veterans.
Duran is under team control for one more year than Ryan is, but the Red Sox would still have to include other pieces in a trade, because starting pitching has become an exceptionally valuable commodity in the era of arm injuries.
While there's no guarantee at all that a Duran-for-Ryan swap happens, the fact that it's cropped up so many times before the offseason fully begins is certainly noteworthy. Boston needs someone of Ryan's caliber, and has the trade chips to make something happen.
