On Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks Alex Killorn took to the ice for the 700th time in his NHL career. That’s a mark shared by only four other players in franchise history. Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman are the only players that have donned the Tampa Bay Lightning sweater more times than the 2007 third round pick.
Over his 700-game career the longest tenured player currently on the roster has posted 390 points with 164 goals and 226 assists. All three of those numbers rank in the top ten for the franchise. His amiable off-ice personalty kind of belies how good and consistant of a player he’s been for the Lightning throughout his career. While he’s in the midst of a career season with 47 points (two off of his career-best) his calling card has been consistency.
He plays almost every every game of every season and usually finds a way to put up a point every other game. After moving up and down the line-up early in his Lightning career he found a home in the top-six and on the top power play unit by doing the things that help set up the likes of Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. He stands in front of the net to gather up rebounds and deflect pucks. He goes into the corner and wins puck battles to help keep possession. Every now and then he scores a goal that reminds you he is quite the skilled player as well.
NHL Video Highlight – Steven Stamkos flips the puck to the crease’s front, and Alex Killorn catches it and puts it down to knock it in for the power-play goal. pic.twitter.com/tc9wo1Ll3Y
— Lightning Game Bot (@bolts_game_bot) February 2, 2022
One of the things that is interesting about Killorn reaching this mark is that, with the exception of St. Louis, the other three players started their Lightning careers at the age of 18. Killorn didn’t hit the NHL until he was 23 (same age as MSL). Due to the fact that he spent all four seasons at Harvard, he didn’t turn pro until the 2011-12 season. He only spent half a season in Syracuse, where he put up 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 44 games, before getting the call-up.
While he isn’t the first name that comes up when people talk about the Lightning offense, he is just as integral to the success of this team as Stamkos, Brayden Point, or Kucherov. Hopefully, the team finds some way to keep him around after his current contract expires after next season.
Lightning / NHL News
Lightning beat Canucks, 2-1 [Raw Charge]
Two minutes of offense and a whole lot of Vasilevskiy helped the Lightning snap their three-game losing streak. Victor Hedman and Ross Colton scored early in the game and the whole team put forth a solid defensive effort to earn the win.
Could Tyler Motte be heading to Tampa? [Fansided]
Sure, why not? It’s that time of year where names get thrown around in possible trade scenarios. An overwhelming theme seems to be teams looking for the “next Barclay Goodrow or Blake Coleman”. Motte could be one of those players. Do the Lightning have the capital or cap room to make the deal? Details like that are inconsequential during Rumors Season!
Lightning face obstacles ahead of trade deadline, but can they maneuver a deal? [Tampa Bay Times]
Julien BriseBois has time and time again talked down expectations of the Lightning making a deal at the deadline. Is he playing possum or does he believe the moves he made in the summer are enough to defend the title?
An update on the potential trade targets [The Athletic]
Pierre LeBrun runs through some of the players who are rumored to be filling out change of address cards in the net month. Jacob Chychrun’s lower-body injury may take one of the bigger names out of the running. Arizona may lose out on a bidding war from GMs desperate to save their jobs, but if they are interested in moving him, they should still get a pretty good haul this summer.
Carrie Heisler: Bridging Heavy Music and Hockey with the Red Wings [KnotFest]
At 99% of sporting events you can bet that the same playlist will be repeated night in and night out. Things in Detroit are a little different. Carrie Heisler, the Lightning Director at Little Ceasars Arena, has been pushing the envelope by including some slightly heavier music from The Black Dahlia Murder, Archspire, and Lorna Shore.
Sunday was the Heritage Classic in Hamilton, Ontario and the Toronto Maple Leafs honored the history of the steelworking town in their pre-game outfits.
Honouring our history on the ice and the city of Hamilton off the ice ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/2sd3GPHQ2k
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 13, 2022
The Buffalo Sabres went a slightly different route
The boys know how to make an entrance…#LetsGoBuffalo | @FreyElectric pic.twitter.com/x9WC5S4uvE
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 13, 2022
Leafs lose easy to to the Sabres in Hamilton [Pension Plan Puppets]
If you think the Lightning are struggling right now, you’ll get no sympathy from Leaf fans. They drop the outdoor game to the Sabres, 5-2 and have lost two in a row. All of a sudden the Boston Bruins are just two points behind them for the third spot (and three behind the Lightning).
Don’t do this, Auston Matthews
Jail. Right to jail! pic.twitter.com/w2fDFa20pG
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) March 13, 2022
