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Lightning’s Point bloodied; Predators’ Johansen gets elbowing major

(UPDATE: Johansen has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA.)

The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning don’t face each other very often, yet you’d almost think they were blood rivals based on some of the events so far during Tuesday’s game on NBCSN (stream here).

We’ve seen a fight, and then maybe a turning point moment during the second period.

The Lightning already held a 2-1 lead, quickly answering after the Predators tied things up 1-1, and it sure looked like things were about to get worse for Nashville.

Ryan Johansen caught Brayden Point with an elbow that bloodied the Lightning star, and officials whistled Johansen for a five-minute elbowing major. After deliberating via tablets, officials determined that a major was a valid call, and the lethal Lightning power play gained a big opportunity -- although it was crucial to note that Point needed to get cleaned up with blood on his jersey.

The Predators showed serious moxie in killing the entire five-minute major penalty, and actually had some of the better opportunities, as they nearly scored a shorthanded goal.

It was an impressive display by the Predators’ PK, and a frustrating moment for the Lightning, as Jon Cooper noted during an in-game interview with Pierre McGuire. We’ll see if the Predators can rally around that strong kill to come back against the Lightning, as they want that to be more than just a confidence-booster.

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.