Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia | When: 10 PM EST
Radio: 970 AM WFLA | Television: FS Florida Sun | Twitter: Live Stream
Opponent Coverage: Nucks Misconduct, Canucks Army, Canucks Corner
Part of the Tampa Bay Lightning potency of the 2014-15 season was the fact there were two lines threatening to score, pressing opponents to try to cover them both with no guarantee that either will happen… or that a member of the third or fourth lines wouldn’t light the lamp. The threat started by way of two lines pushing offensively and the need to contain them.
One thing that’s changed since the Stanley Cup Finals and it’s been misread in so many lights that it’s led to smearing of Steven Stamkos‘ efforts in the series, is that the dual-threat potency died with Tyler Johnson’s wrist injury sustained in the series with the Blackhawks. Without the full-force, TKO effect of the Triplets, the Tampa Bay offensive effort was better controlled and contained by the Blackhawks… And that’s remained a truth for the majority of the Bolts current season. Tyler Johnson has battled injuries to coincide his still bump wrist that has rendered his potency null and void. He has 12 points in 28 games this season (4 goals, 8 assists) which is just over 1/7th of his point total from the regular season last season (72 points; 29 goals and 43 assists in 77 games) and just under half of what he produced in the playoffs (26 games played, 13 goals, 10 assists for 23 points). The tandem element of Ondrej Palat and Johnson has also been nullified by way of injuries.
There is chemistry among the Triplets and that is why coach Jon Cooper went back to that line combination after Johnson and Palat’s return from their latest hurts. The thing is, it might be time to shift centers in an attempt to jump-start the dual-threat element of the Bolts.
While objection can be raised immediately because Nikita Kucherov is among the team’s leaders in scoring (he’s tied with Steven Stamkos with 31 points on the season) but Kucherov hasn’t been scoring only with Johnson and Palat, or enabled solely by Johnson and Palat. Heck, the guy was a more weighty threat when playing with Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov on the top line. Having that one-line threat of intimidation might seem formidable and thrilling, but a potent one-line also provides a singular threat that opponents can shut down, thus justifying (at least to coach Cooper) the immediate resurrection of the Triplets when Johnson and then Palat returned.
Namestnikov, though, and Valtteri Filppula, Cedric Paquette, Jonathan Marchessault and Brian Boyle all give alternatives at second-line center, though Paquette and Boyle are seen as locks in the bottom six. In the case of Namestnikov and Marchessault, they’ve been shifting all over the forward ranks from wing to center when necessary. Either one of those guys could fill in on the second line and find chemistry with Palat, or Kucherov, or Alex Killorn, etc.
I’m a big fan of Tyler Johnson in general and I don’t want to see him brushed off or ditched, but trying to relieve a bit of performance pressure on #9 seems like a wise move in order to help him heal and regain threatening form.
All of this is inspired by the Lightning trialing 2-0 after two periods of play. The late surge and win is nice, but a solid scoring chemistry from tandems or complete line combos is important with only 41 games left in the season. If Stamkos and Kucherov are the guys offensively on the club, then they’re the targets defensively – shut’em down and you’ll stop Tampa Bay. That cannot be permitted to continue, and shifting Stamkos to wing isn’t the way to get past it.
It’ll (likely) be Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight for the Lightning in the crease with Jacob Markstrom confirmed as the starter for the Canucks. Markstrom’s numbers are all right with a .919 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average. He’s also 5-5-2 in his 14 appearances in net. Vasy’s record is also middling (4-4-0) with a higher GAA (2.78) and lower save percentage (.911) thank Markstrom, but he’s had fewer opportunities in net since his return from blood clot issues (he’s appeared in 9 games) and has appeared uncomfortable at times in the crease. It’s part of why the Lightning sent him back to Syracuse at times in December – to get hi ice time in games.
Other Coverage
- Projected Lines: Lightning / Canucks
- Tickets: Check Availability
- Tampa Bay Lightning official team preview
- Full Coverage on SB Nation
