It’s probably not right for us to hope for more Lightning penalties, but they do give us a chance to watch Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli the chance to do what they seem to do best – unleash havoc on other team’s power play. The duo has been together for 37:22 of the Lightning’s total of 106:22 minutes shorthanded. And in the 8:36 that Hagel has played shorthanded without Cirelli and the 8:16 that Cirelli has played without Hagel and one or both of them have been on the ice for more that half of the time the Bolts have been down a skater or two.
They have not been perfect (they’ve conceded four goals against while together), but they’ve been pretty good. Not only have they done a solid job of defending their own zone, they’ve applied pressure to the other team with a 1.18 xGF and 9 scoring chances. In the 51:54 of ice time when neither have been on the ice, the rest of the team has generated just a 0.56 xGF and 5 scoring chances.
Why are they so dangerous on the PK? Both are quick skaters and tenacious on the puck. They also read plays really well and anticipate their opponent’s moves and are in place to thwart their plans. In the defensive zone, the duo challenges their assigned targets and do an excellent job of blocking passes or shots, which allow them to either clear the puck or flee the zone with possession.
The first highlight in the clip below shows how quickly they turn defense into offense. Hagel shields off a Chicago player and puts the pass right on Cirelli’s stick as Tony motors down the middle of the ice:
(I would show you more, but Twitter decided I searched too many times and threw a rate limit up. Such a fun platform.)
It’s nice having a duo like them up front harassing the other team’s puck carriers. When they can start disrupting things 140 feet away from their own net, it makes things much easier for their goaltender and defensive partners. It also wears out the other team at a time when they should have it a bit easier.
Overall the Lightning have drastically improved their penalty kill. It finished at 79.7% last year and are at 84.4% through a quarter of the season. Hagel and Cirelli have been a big part of that success.
Lightning / NHL News
From the THN Archive: Electric Youth [The Hockey News]
I’m not sure this is the greatest picture in Lightning history, but it’s got to be up there, right? Also, can you believe it’s been 9 years since The Triplets ran the world in Tampa?
Jacob Trouba fined $5,000 [NHL Player Safety Twitter]
Say it with me, “The maximum allowable under the CBA”. Trouba was cited for high-sticking Boston’s Trent Frederic in Saturday’s game between the two teams. Sure, high-sticking is a generous term for what he did.
Ryan Hartman to have hearing with DoPS [Sportsnet]
Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman will likely have less money in his savings account after his hearing with the Department of Player Safety after he slew-footed Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat in their game on Sunday.
Best and Worst of the Week [Yahoo Sports]
Nikita Kucherov gets the nod in the player of the week category after his big night against the Hurricanes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a Star of the Week from the NHL as well.
Corey Perry away from team due to “personal reasons” per agent [Elliotte Friedman]
After Chicago said that it was “the team’s decision” for the veteran to not be with the team, Perry’s agent, Pat Morris stated that the former Bolts had “stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks to attend to personal matters.”
NHL must end embarrassing ‘Special Initiatives’ rule [Hockey Wilderness]
Once again, the NHL showed their ban on themed equipment to be rather toothless. Marc-Andre Fleury was told that he could not wear a special indigenous peoples themed helmet in warm-ups. He wore it anyway, and guess what, as of Sunday night there was no punishment from the league.
TRAAAAAAAADDDDDDE [NHL.com]
Things are happening out on the island. A day after claiming Mike Reilly off of waivers, the Islanders acquired Tyce Thompson in exchange for Arnaud Durandeau. The 24-year-old Thompson has spent most of his time in the AHL, but has seen action in 11 games for the Devils over the course of three seasons. Durandeau was a 6th round pick in 2017 and played in 4 games with the Islanders last season.
Would a new NHL award help the best defensive defenseman get their due? [The Athletic]
Of course it would. The questions should be, “Will we ever see a defensive defenseman award in the NHL?”
Look at the cute hockey pup!
