The Lightning Move Toward the Middle

I’m an over the hill beer leaguer who has never lived more than 75 miles from Boston. I can’t bring myself to quit playing hockey even though my back hurts so much that I take 10 minutes to stand up straight every morning. I never want to live anywhere else but Boston, and I barely see a need to visit anywhere else. I’ve been a Bruins fan since I was eight years old. So I’m going to be writing about…the Lightning.

For anyone who’s read his stuff, I’m not like Brownie! I don’t hate the Lightning. Far from it. I’ve attended games at Amalie Arena, game night is a blast, and I like the fans and I envy the team’s consistent success. Bruins/Lightning game seven in 2011 was the best hockey game I’ve ever seen in my life and Cooper’s a great coach. The core group the Lightning has in place right now has been as solid as any in the league. But I’m ready to praise or rip Tampa as need be.

Season Opener- First Seven Games 

After a mediocre start against five non-playoff teams, the Bolts were ready to take on Toronto and Carolina. They played a strong forty minutes before collapsing and blowing a lead to the Leafs and followed that up with a solid sixty to shut out the Canes. So after seven the Bolts are just over a point-a-game pace at 3-2-2. It’s better than it sounds.

The big question mark going into the season was goaltending with Vasilevskiy out for back surgery. But Jonas Johansson – veteran of twenty-eight NHL starts since 2019 – came out of the gate OK and has been upgraded to solid. He’s 3-1-2 and might have won the Toronto game if the guys in front of him had managed a shot in overtime. And he doesn’t need to play well for long with Vasilevskiy returning in early December.

Up front the core group is leading the team. Kucherov has ten points and is playing defenseman-like minutes. Behind him its Point, Hedman, Stamkos, all the usual names are doing what we’re used to seeing. All are a year older and any drop-off is hard to see. Brandon Hagel looks like a good signing and Nick Paul has added some pop on the first power play unit. The PP is clicking along at 33% so far and the PK is strong.

Defense looks average, giving up a little bit less than three and a half goals a game. D pairs have been shifting around, with nobody really locking in with a full-time partner. Sergachev and Raddysh both had points in the Carolina game to improve to team worst minus-7 and minus-4.

Team toughness? Three fighting majors to date with Tanner Jeannot beating up undersized Mark Friedman, who took exception to Tanner standing in front of the net and Austin Watson pummeling Zemgus Girgensons, who is apparently offended by clean body checks.

Nick Paul felt the need to punch somebody after Kucherov took a swan dive against the Canes, and Jack Drury stepped in and offered to wrestle as long as Nick wouldn’t hit him. 

So seven games in and the team’s mid-pack. Johansson’s better than folks feared. Paul’s contributing a bit more. PP’s solid. PK’s solid. But with all that going right, the Lightning looks like a 90-point bubble team.  Sure its early, but with one quality win so far, I’m not feeling it. 

Note: I wrote this up before the Lightning demolished the Sharks. The Sharks are dreadful and that win means nothing.