Flyers' Five-Game Home Winning Streak Ends With Loss To Lightning, Who Won 10th Straight Game
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Tampa Bay got offense from an unlikely source to keep its winning streak going. Pat Maroon scored the game's only goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves and the Lightning tied a club record with their 10th straight win, 1-0 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.
The Lightning haven't lost since Dec. 21 at Washington, and have outscored opponents 43-17 during their streak. Tampa Bay has tallied 12 unanswered goals, two short of matching a team mark.
Tampa Bay will look to set a club record for consecutive victories on Sunday night at New Jersey.
"The guys you're used to scoring score a lot for us (didn't score)," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "But when they don't, you need other guys to step up. And that's probably how you get to 10 in a row when everybody's contributing."
Maroon scored with 12:33 left in the second period on a fluky goal. Anthony Cirelli sent a high backhander into the zone from near center ice. Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen batted it out of the air, but Maroon blocked the puck with two hands. It landed at his feet and he shot past Carter Hart's glove side for his sixth of the season and first goal in 24 games.
"In a game like that, it's funny that's the goal that goes in," Cooper said. "I think he was the only one that really saw that puck. Everybody else was looking for it. He went hard to the net and he jammed it in. Good awareness by him."
Maroon later left the game after he was hooked by Kevin Hayes and went barreling into the backboards two minutes into the third period. He immediately grabbed his right shoulder and headed to the bench before going to the locker room.
Cooper didn't have an update on Maroon, who was sporting an ice pack on his right shoulder afterward.
Vasileskiy earned his second straight shutout and the 20th of his career. He has been in goal for eight of the victories during the streak. The Lightning defense was stout in front of their netminder, and Vasileskiy was rarely tested. His best save came five minutes into the third period, when he stopped Travis Sanheim's one-timer from close range with a right pad save.
"I've said this before, a shutout is something the whole team deserves," Vasileskiy said. "The team played great defensively, all the D-men and forwards. Tonight, one goal was enough for us to win because we played good defensively."
Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point have been on a roll during the streak, each with 14 points, and Nikita Kucherov, the team's points leader, had points in six straight games. But their offense wasn't needed on this night.