Best of the Bolts: Round of 32 Voting – Blue Bracket

Voting for the third group of Best of the Bolts matchup starts at noon on August 5 and ends at noon on August 8. Each matchup is listed below and you can vote as many times as you’d like for your favorite play in each matchup.

Boyle Delivers the Knockout Blow vs. Slip and Fall

MAY 3, 2016: BOYLE DELIVERS THE KNOCKOUT BLOW

The Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a goal deficit three separate times in Game 3 of their second round series versus the New York Islanders in Brooklyn.

And less than three minutes into overtime, Lightning forward Brian Boyle dealt the final, knockout blow to the Islanders.

Boyle gained possession of the puck entering the offensive zone and skated down the right side before dropping a pass across ice to Victor Hedman. The Lightning defenseman whizzed a shot at the Islanders’ net but missed the target. The puck, however, caromed off the end boards to the opposite side of the goal, where Boyle was parked.

Boyle skillfully trapped the rebound with his skate to settle the puck then slammed it into the open net to cap a wild, back-and-forth Game 3 and give the Lightning a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Boyle drew the ire of Islanders head coach Jack Capuano for a perceived head shot on Thomas Hickey during the battle for the puck at the blue line that set up the game-winner. After knocking Hickey down, Boyle took possession of the puck and scored seconds later.

“It was a great hockey game,” Capuano said in his post-Game 3 press conference. “Unfortunately, a blow to the head, a head shot, had to end the game.”

Capuano was convinced his view of the play would be vindicated via video review and Boyle would be disciplined for Game 4.

No such discipline was deemed necessary as Boyle suited up for Game 4, and his timely Game-3 winner proved to be the turning point in the series.

FEBRUARY 28, 2016: SLIP AND FALL

The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their win streak to six games courtesy of a satisfying 4-1 victory over their division nemesis from Boston.

And an untimely miscue from a Bruins defenseman contributed to the Bolts’ winning goal.

With the score tied 1-1, Adam McQuaid set up for a slap shot along the blue line but fell as he began to wind up.

The Lightning astutely pounced on the mistake, Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn starting a two-on-none the other way. Callahan and Killorn passed the puck back and forth as they skated down the ice. Killorn got the puck in deep, baiting Tuukka Rask into thinking he’d be the shooter. At the last possible moment, Killorn dished once more to Callahan, who had nothing in front of him with Rask off to the other side of the goal.

Callahan extended his point streak to four games with the goal. The Lightning took over sole possession of second place in the Atlantic Division with the victory and helped push the Bruins down in the standings and eventually out of the playoffs.

Round of 32 Boyle Delivers the Knockout Blow Slip and Fall Survey Maker

Bishop Gets in the Way vs. Kucherov Goes Beast Mode

DECEMBER 30, 2015: BISHOP GETS IN THE WAY

Tampa Bay didn’t have much success against the New York Rangers in 2015-16, a season after dispatching the Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Final.

After winning the opening matchup, the Lightning lost the next two. The Rangers defeated the Bolts 5-2 in the final game of …

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