Game Thirty-seven: Tampa Bay Lightning ( ) at Anaheim Ducks (16-18-4)
Time: 8:00 PM EST
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim
TV/Stream/Radio: FDSNSUN, Victory+, KCOP-13, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App
Odds: Lightning -198
There are many different ways a team can frustrate it’s fan base and coaching staff. Over the last week, we’ve seen a couple from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Against Montreal and San Jose, it was frustration born of a team not playing up to it’s talent level against teams that they were, at least on paper, better than. Last night, against the Los Angeles Kings, the frustration rose from a solid night’s work undone by a lost face-off and a momentary lapse in play. Ahhh..the joys of sports.
If we were forced to chose between the style of losses the Lightning have exhibited over the last week, we would select the heartbreak of the 2-1 loss to the Kings. Yes, we’re getting to the point where “good” losses are as damaging to playoff aspirations as “bad” losses are, but at least in defeat we saw the structure of a team that should win more games than they lost. For 98% of the night, the Lightning were patient with the puck, their breakouts were organized, and they generated offense through the neutral zone against a solid defensive team.
It was a close-checking, stop-and-start kind of game that we often see in the playoffs, and the Lightning acquitted themselves well even if two more points vanished into the L.A. smog twinkling night sky. The losing streak might have grown to three games last night, but buried in the Bolts’ fourteenth defeat of the season were the seeds of a winning streak. Tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks should give them the chance to water those seeds and see the offense bloom once again.
Okay, now that we have that metaphor out of the way (running on five hours of sleep here), let’s look at tonight’s opponent. The Ducks are currently four points ahead of the Sharks at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings with a 16-18-4 record. They are likely out of the playoff race and the trade speculation has begun with defenseman Brian Dumoulin’s name already circulating. They’re also without the services of young forward Trevor Zegras, who is rehabbing from a torn meniscus in his knee.
Overall, it’s another year on their way to a rebuild, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a feisty team that can cause some problems. Over the last month or so, they’ve sprinkled some impressive wins among their losses as they’ve tripped up Winnipeg (twice), Edmonton, and New Jersey. The Lightning won’t be able to throw their sticks out on the ice and expect a win. However, if they play with the structure they did against Los Angeles, good things will happen.
Unlike the Kings, Anaheim has struggled to prevent goals and scoring chances, even during their recent run of decent play. Over the last month they are 30.31 scoring chances per 60 minutes, the third most in the league over that time frame. An unhealthy portion of them (13.28/60) have been considered high-danger. They’ve actually done a decent job of not allowing the chances to turn into goals as their 2.41 GA/60 at 5v5 ranks 17th in the league. How about a round of applause for Lukas Dostal for his 4.03 GSAx over the last month that has helped keep them in some of these games.
Dostal was in the net for their latest venture, a 3-2 loss against Edmonton on Friday, so expect him to match up against Jonas Johansson. Offensively, the Ducks rely on a team approach as Troy Terry is the only player with a double-digit point total (12 points in 14 games) over the last month of play. Old friend Alex Killorn does have six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in his last 14 games to bring his season total to 16 (7 goals, 9 assists).
Offense has been a struggle for the Lightning of late as they haven’t topped two goals scored in a game since their 6-2 win over New York on December 28th. The power play has struggled as well, but so has Anaheim’s penalty kill. If the Lightning can generate a few special teams opportunities, perhaps they can get out of their current funk.
If the game against L.A. was a good test of their ability to play patient, structured hockey, tonight’s game will be a test on how to take advantage of a team that plays with speed and energy, but a little looser defensive structure. If the Bolts can get back to finishing off the chances they create, they will be in line to return to Tampa with at least two points on this trip.
Potential Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards:
Jake Guentzel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Conor Geekie
Gage Goncalves – Nick Paul – Mitchell Chaffee
Zemgus Girgensons – Luke Glendening – Mikey Eyssimont
Defense:
Victor Hedman – Darren Raddysh
Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg – Nick Perbix
Goaltenders:
Jonas Johansson
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Anaheim Ducks
Forwards:
Frank Vatrano – Ryan Strome – Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier – Mason MacTavish – Brett Leason
Alex Killorn – Leo Carlsson – Robby Fabbri
Ross Johnston – Isac Lundestrom – Jansen Harkins
Defense:
Jackson Lacombe – Radko Gudas
Brian Dumoulin – Jacob Trouba
Olen Zellweger – Drew Helleson
Goaltenders:
Lukas Dostal
John Gibson
