The 2023-24 regular season is two weeks old, and while there has been a little progress, the results have not come often enough for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They came back late to salvage one point out of the finale of a three-game road trip, all against Atlantic Division foes. Once they got back inside the friendly confines of Amalie Arena, things started to look up. A back-and-forth affair saw Nikita Kucherov heat up late, providing the difference in a win over the Vancouver Canucks. Two nights later, Kucherov again scored twice, but a lack of intensity late in regulation and overtime proved to be fatal against their 2023 playoff nemesis in, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While the defense buckled down in terms of limiting the shots against, the number of Grade A chances was still higher than expected from a team that made a living off of stifling opposing offenses for years. In the weeks first two games, the Lightning allowed 60 shots. That was nearly half of the total they gave up in three games to start the season, so there’s hope for this team to turn things around. Unfortunately, they then took a major step backwards, allowing the Maple Leafs to fire over 50 shots on net. Netminder Jonas Johansson was the main reason they got one point out of that game.
Speaking of that Maple Leafs game, the complacent nature the Lightning showed late in regulation and overtime isn’t like them. Sitting back and playing prevent defense, hardly touching the puck, is a recipe for disaster. Last year’s first-round playoff series loss should have taught them that lesson, but Saturday night’s loss provided a refresher for a team that has seen the most turnover in years.
After being quiet for most of the first week, Kucherov got going in a big way this week. He had four goals and was constantly creating offense whenever the puck ended up on his stick. That was on full display against the Maple Leafs Saturday night, as he drew defenders and then sent a perfect cross-ice pass to rookie Alex Barre-Boulet, who didn’t miss scoring his first goal of the season. He also was a force on the power play, helping the team convert above a 50 percent clip in the weeks final two games.
Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli continue to make life hard on anyone that matches up against them, but the secondary scoring remains invisible for the Lightning. Conor Sheary has no goals and only one point through six games, while Tanner Jeannot has a single goal and three points. Even Nick Paul has been fairly quiet 5-on-5, with all three of his goals coming on the power play. Where is Ross Colton when you need him? Oh yeah, Julien Brisebois decided to trade him and keep Jeannot.
Goaltending wise, Johansson has played well. His best game came in a losing effort Saturday night against the Maple Leafs, yet there’s still room for improvement. For him, this experience will only make him better in the long run.
Can the Lightning begin clicking on all cylinders sooner rather than later? While unknown, the ability to close out games and receive secondary scoring will help this team win more games than they lose.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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