After a rough patch that saw the Tampa Bay Lightning lose three straight games, with the latter two being shutouts, they have rallied and won three straight. Perhaps what is most impressive is that the Lightning were trailing at some point in each win, and in their game against the Boston Bruins, they were even behind with less than five seconds remaining.
The last few weeks have felt like a roller coaster, and for a time, there were few positive remarks that could be made about the Lightning outside of the play of Nikita Kucherov. It feels like the tide is starting to turn, and the team is finally figuring out how to get things to click. Plenty of questions remain, but the Lightning are trending up, and it could not come at a better time.
Lightning’s Three Straight Comebacks
The Lightning’s first victory in this recent stretch came on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 16. While the Blackhawks might not be the most feared team in the league, they did best the Lightning 5-3 on Nov. 9, and the Lightning were coming into the game without having scored a goal in six straight periods. It felt like beating any team would be a tall order with how the offense had stalled out and with the defense plodding along.
The Lightning did not make it easy on themselves to start the game. After the first period, they were trailing 1-0 and had made it seven straight periods without a goal. Brayden Point broke the curse in the second, and from there, things started to open up. Mikhail Sergachev scored late in the period, and although the Blackhawks tied the game up in the third, the Lightning held steady and won 4-2.
The next two affairs were a bit more chaotic and really tested the grit of the team. Mere minutes into the Lightning’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, Jonas Johansson let in a rather pedestrian attempt. Not too long after that, the Oilers struck again, and the Lightning found themselves in a 2-0 hole. They were outshot 19-10 in the first period and got completely outplayed, but that did not stop Kucherov from scoring in the dying seconds to make it 2-1.
In the second period, the two teams traded goals, which left the score at 3-2 in favor of the Oilers heading into the third. The final frame saw a flurry of goals, and the Lightning and Oilers ended up trading scores again, but the Lightning were able to put three straight in the next after that to finish the game with a 6-4 victory.
The Lightning’s final win of this stretch was the most impressive. They faced off against the rival Boston Bruins, who sat at 13-1-2 heading into the game. The Lightning drew first blood and decidedly outplayed the Bruins in the first two periods, which was enough to see them enter the third period with a lead, but only by a score of 2-1. Six minutes into the period, David Pastrnak tied it up, and just a touch over a minute later, the Bruins had the lead. It felt like an all-too-familiar situation where the Lightning played a better game but were destined to fall short. Lucky bounces had been in the Bruins’ favor, and that is always tough to overcome.
The Lightning did not lie down, though. Austin Watson answered with a beautiful shot while falling down to even the score at 3-3. But the Bruins went right back and scored what looked to be the dagger with four minutes remaining. The Lightning got a power play with just over two minutes left but could not convert. They had some chances but just could not score. Then, with mere seconds left, Kuchervov found Steven Stamkos all alone, and the captain did not disappoint. Overtime has been quite a challenge for the Lightning this season, but that would not be the case against the Bruins. The Lightning dominated possession, and an elite stretch pass from Victor Hedman to Brandon Hagel sealed the deal.
Kucherov Does It All
Kucherov has been the Lightning’s MVP thus far. There is no question about it. If he keeps it up and the Lightning are able to make the playoffs, he certainly could find himself in consideration for the Hart Trophy. He is currently tied for fourth in points in the league with 28 total points and has scored 13 goals. Kucherov is shooting the puck more this season and is on pace for a career-high in shots and goals. At times, it has felt like he was the Lightning’s entire offense, and it goes without saying that his passing is still elite. More than that, he is getting more involved with the defense and is completely dialed in.
When reports came out of how early and intensely Kucherov was training in the offseason, it was clear that he was ready to go, but he has exceeded expectations. He had an assist in the win over the Blackhawks, but it was the other two victories where his talent really shined. In the win over the Bruins, it was his pass in the last moments of the game that gave Stamkos the chance to send the game to overtime. Against the Oilers, he completely took over. He scored twice and had an assist in the win. When the offense was sputtering and could not get anything going, he kept them in the game. That one very easily could have gotten away from the Lightning, but he was able to reel it in and give them a chance, which they took advantage of.
The Third Line Looks Special
The combination of Tanner Jeannot, Tyler Motte, and Michael Eyssimont has Lightning fans excited. They are already making comparisons to the Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman line that was so important to the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cup runs. The Lightning have had a few different looks over the years, but a strong third line has always been a key to their postseason success, and that can be said of most teams in the league. Having quality depth goes a long way when spring comes around, so having this revelation of a new third line could bode well for the Lightning.
Jeannot is bringing all of the grit that the Lightning need to get out of him. He is also starting to chip in offensively, as he has scored in two straight games. In the win against the Bruins, he opened the scoring by following up on an attempt made by Motte. Jeannot saw that the puck was still loose and chipped it in. It was a heads-up play that involved some tenacity.
Motte has been finding his place on the team as well. He was a late addition to the roster after Josh Archibald decided he would not be playing this season. While Motte only has a single assist to his name so far in the nine games he has played, he has looked good. He’s doing the little things right and elevating the play of his teammates. He is pesky and always working hard, so his time to get some points will probably come soon. But even if it does not, he is still a great part of the team and is doing exactly what he needs to do.
Then there is Eyssimont. It’s been pretty apparent what he brings to the table for a while, and it’s been fun to watch him continue to improve and get more comfortable. He is an energizer bunny out there, and many fans are calling him the new Gourde. The forward is already a fan favorite, and it is easy to see why. He meshes so well with his linemates, and his speed always keeps the opposition on their toes.
Everybody Is Chipping In
It is not just the third line and Kucherov that looked good in these recent games, though. Even if those players stood out the most, those victories were absolutely team efforts. The game against the Bruins had five unique goal-scorers for the Lightning. The same can be said for the game against the Oilers. The Blackhawks game had four unique goal-scorers too. After two straight games of no goals, the Lightning have had three much stronger efforts in which everyone is getting involved with the offense.
It does need to be said as well that the defense has started to trend upward in these last few games too. Make no mistake, there is still a long way to go, but they are starting to settle in. It looks like the pairings work together pretty well, and while there have been some embarrassing mistakes, the overall play is better than it has been. That is a start and is something to be cautiously optimistic about.
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The defense has also been getting more involved in the offense. In the win over the Blackhawks, two of the goals were from defensemen, and the other two goals had defensemen getting the primary assist. Sergachev had himself a night in the win over the Oilers with a goal and two assists. Hedman looked like a beast against the Bruins and set up Hagel for the game-winning goal. Even with some hiccups, it looks like things are slowly coming together. The defense is looking more coherent, the depth players are finding their roles and starting to score, and the star players (other than Kucherov, who has been lights out all year) are heating up.
Andrei Vasilevskiy Is Returning Soon
The Lightning position players could not be heating up at a better time. Maybe the opposition is starting to figure out Johansson, or maybe he is simply having trouble with the workload, but his numbers are starting to dip. He has done a commendable job and is better than what was expected, but he was never intended to be the starting goalie. Johansson will make a serviceable backup for Andrei Vasilevskiy; there is no doubt about that. As the season continues to get more intense, though, the Lightning will need Vasilevskiy.
Luckily for them, his return is right around the corner. He has been back on the ice, and while there is no set return date, it will come soon enough. The Lightning, all things considered, have fared relatively well in his absence. There have been plenty of unnecessary headaches, but they are sitting in the first wild card spot at the moment and are above the .500 mark. They are only a single point worse than they were at this point last season.
The defense remains a serious concern, and Vasilevskiy is not a silver bullet that is going to fix everything. Having said that, the defense improving right as the star goalie is about to return does give reason for optimism. The Lightning’s season can still go just about anywhere, up or down, but they have shown that they can win with their back against the wall, and if they can keep it up, then they will be in good shape.