Since the calendar flipped to 2024, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Their 9-3 record, 8-1 after the first week, has catapulted them into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race after a rocky start to this season.
With 50 games in the books and only 32 remaining, now is a good time to look at the month that could define the 2023-24’ Lightning season and what exactly keyed their turnaround.
First, the stars have come to play every night. Brayden Point had points in nine of the last 12 games. He’s also beginning to find the back of the net, with eight goals in January. That includes two goals each against the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins and the always-tough New Jersey Devils heading into the bye week and All-Star weekend.
Captain Steven Stamkos is leading by example as well, with points in six of 12 and three straight. He also had the game-winning goal versus the Arizona Coyotes and the Anaheim Ducks.
Nikita Kucherov continued his MVP caliber season, notching points in 10 of the past 12 games. He also registered multi-point games in eight of 12, including four three-point games and one four-point game. The fact he’s not being considered as an MVP candidate by some is baffling to say the least.
The Lightning are getting more scoring from the back end also. Victor Hedman is leading the way, getting points in eight of the team’s 12 games. Of those eight, three were multi pointers.
After a slow start to his first full NHL season, Darren Raddysh broke out in a big way by tallying two goals on January 4 in Minnesota. That paved the way for a four-goal and seven-point month, including the overtime game-winner on January 11 vs the Devils. Fellow blue liner Nick Perbix played the role of hero, with the overtime winner on January 9 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Goaltenders Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonas Johansson have also played well enough to win. While still finding his form after late September back surgery, Vasilevskiy has a save percentage of .900 or more in seven of 11 starts. Johansson, meanwhile, only allowed one goal against in his lone start on January 20 in Buffalo.
Finally, with injuries ravaging the team, especially on the blue line, the Lightning turned to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse for reinforcements. All performed admirably, with defenseman Emil Lilleberg playing his way into a permanent role on the back end. Max Crozier, Waltteri Merela, and Mitchell Chaffee also scored their first NHL goal or point in their time with the big club. That’s great news for the future.
Can the Lightning keep their winning streak going after the break? The things that keyed a winning January will be important to continue, as is good defense, if they plan to earn a postseason berth.
