So Close, yet So Far from Glory

By Mark Pukalo

The end was somewhat sobering for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Even though there was plenty of time to get the equalizer, when Duncan Keith lifted his own rebound over Ben Bishop late in the second period of Game 6 for a 1-0 lead you wondered if the dream was over. Everything seemed even harder for the Bolts after that.

Maybe if Steven Stamkos’ shot had been a fraction of an inch lower in the first period or the puck hopped over Corey Crawford’s pad off the captain’s stick on his second period breakaway, or soon after Anton Stralman got his blade on Jonathan Drouin’s nifty cross-ice pass with a wide-open net, things would have been different. It just wasn’t to be – this time.

The highest-scoring team in the NHL in 2014-15, which jumped to a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals, would end up scoring only twice total in three straight losses to end its season. If they had been told the Hawks would score six times combined in Games 4-6, the Bolts would have taken that and expected at least a Game 7 at home.

There are no clear reasons why the Lightning lost to the worthy Chicago Blackhawks. They just faced a team that did not give them as many mistakes to capitalize on. You can pick your favorite whipping boy and cover him with blame or point to an injury, but it comes down to this. The Lightning was good enough to win a Cup. They just couldn’t finish the job.

The second guessers have some things to talk about. With Tyler Johnson obviously hurting badly, could coach Jon Cooper have broken up the Triplets to give him a smaller role and put Stamkos between Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov? Would Nikita Nesterov, Mark Barberio or Luke Witkowski have coughed up fewer pucks than Andrej Sustr? Could Cooper have chained Bishop to the net mentally in Game 5? Would Stamkos have contributed more with a few more shifts per game? Could Drouin have helped in Game 4?

All of those are legitimate, but the Bolts still could have won a Cup if they had made just a few more big plays. That’s why, in a strange way, there was something about the sorrow of coming so close and losing that did not leave as bad a taste in your mouth. The Lightning gained so much experience over the last two months and succeeded under the most pressure imaginable. They went an impressive 8-5 on the road in the playoffs and young players raised their games to amazing levels. There’s no reason why they can’t do it again.

While Johnson’s performance in Game 4 of the Detroit series might have saved Cooper and the season, there is no doubt defenseman Victor Hedman was the team’s best player in the playoffs. He was dominant in all three zones and played with the calm and poise of his countryman Nicklas Lidstrom, who was the best rearguard in the world over 10-15 years before he retired recently. I still get annoyed when I hear some dopey fan or a radio personality (from 9 a.m.-12 on WDAE) knocking him. Hedman has been this talented all along. If you couldn’t see it, you were blind or did not know hockey. He just needed time. Almost all defensemen do.

While everyone had their moments, Alex Killorn and Palat stood out to me. They were constant forces on the ice, whether they had the puck or not. I remember watching Killorn at Deerfield Academy years ago and knowing he would be an NHL player because he showed such smarts and versatility with a pair of soft hands. It wasn’t hard to see. Kucherov was also great at times in the postseason. He just needs to shoot more. J.T. Brown, who I doubted before the playoffs, lifted his game to the highest level in his career as well on the bottom two lines and Stralman showed why he might have been the most astute free-agent signing ever by GM Steve Yzerman.

The Lightning likely would have beaten any other team the Western Conference produced. The Blackhawks just had the most ideas, the most savvy, the most scoring options of any opponent Tampa Bay faced. Chicago could win in more ways and they found the right route through the maze of fallen bodies to win four times. Plus, they were run by two former Hartford Whalers – steady Joel Quenneville and Kevin Dineen. There are not many classier athletes I’ve met than Dineen, who should get another head coaching chance.

Yzerman said he didn’t expect major changes to the roster for 2015-16 -- but he wouldn’t just after a season like this. The Lightning are in good shape with the salary cap for the next campaign. That’s a nice position for Yzerman to be in, giving him a chance to tackle the long-term plan -- which could be much trickier.

Stamkos is the first priority, but that’s up to the captain on how long he wants to draw it out. Will he sign now and make plenty of money in a state that has no income tax? Not sure why he wouldn’t. Or will he wait? The question is, does No. 91 want one of those 10-12 year contracts for over $100 million or might he take a 5-6 year deal with a big early bonus? I’d offer five years at $55 million, with 15 coming in 2016-17. That way, Stamkos could get one more big deal after that in his early 30s.

I believe the Lightning will get his signature on a long-term contract this summer, but where will Stamkos play next season? He was productive on the wing with Val Filppula, but moving back to center would probably be the best for him and the team. You can start the season, assuming no deals, with Jonathan Drouin and Killorn on his wings. You can move Filppula between Callahan and perhaps Vladislav Namestnikov or Brown. Maybe Adam Erne moves in around midseason on the left. Cedric Paquette joining Brian Boyle and Brown or Namestnikov or Jonathan Marchessault on the fourth line would work.

The Bolts could also make a minor move for a veteran third-line center for one year and keep Stamkos at right wing. That center would be a good two-way player who can finish setups from Drouin. Paquette is a good player, but I think he would be more valuable in a fourth-line, penalty-kill role going forward. He can fill in on the third line if there are injuries. The Lightning brass also has to make a decision on Namestnikov. I think he is a good player to have around, but not sure he is the third-line center of the future and he does not seem to be as good on the wing. At some point, the Bolts need to have a top-nine center with size and more speed than Paquette to plug in. Brayden Point and Matt Peca could be NHLers at some point, but don’t have the frame necessary to fill that role.

I would listen to offers for Namestnikov if a Western Conference team is looking for third-line center and wants to give up a No. 5-6 right-handed defenseman in a package or two picks – including another second – this year.

Yzerman should lock up Killorn, who I believe has one year left on a deal, and Kucherov early. This might sound very strange, but going forward Johnson might be the player to go if the Lightning have cap problems when Stamkos, Hedman, Killorn and others get their deals. I think Palat and Killorn can do more over the long haul and Johnson, while a fantastic player, might not have the staying power as he continues to take abuse. Not saying they should dump Johnson, but if the Bolts need to trade someone with great value down the road, it might be him.

Trading defenseman Matt Carle is the most logical way to open up some cap space over the next few seasons. That won’t be easy though. Carle could help a handful of teams in the league (Dallas and Calgary?), but can they convince him to waive a no trade clause and find a team that won’t force them to take back much salary? A buyout might end up being the best option, but three years remain on the deal. There’s got to be a team out there that will take Barberio for a draft pick. He played pretty well this season and could be a strong No. 6 or 7 for plenty of teams in this league. The Bolts need to make room for Witkowski, Nesterov and perhaps Slater Koekkoek, and Barbs deserves a chance to play for another organization rather than serving popcorn here.

Brayden Coburn has one year left on his contract and Jason Garrison three at a reasonable cap number (4.6) for a top-four D man  Then there’s Sustr. Through most of the regular season he was showing progress and he played fairly well in the first two rounds of the playoffs. In the final two, he was exposed. The Lightning has to decide whether he is what he is or whether he is still getting better. I would put him in the Namestnikov category. If there’s a really good deal to be made, I’d include him. Plus, I think Witkowski has potential to be a decent No. 6-7 on the right side and Anthony DeAngelo is coming. I believe Dominik Masin (pronounced machine) can be a valuable defenseman as well on the left side. Can’t wait until he is ready.

The top two needs, if the Lightning is so inclined to shift some chairs around, in my opinion are – a right-handed defenseman with size that can push Sustr and Witkowski to a higher level or beat them out with steadier play and a third-line center who can play the wing if needed with one year left on the deal to take Brenden Morrow’s veteran leadership spot. I don’t know enough about the injury situation or the character of Matt Cullen, but perhaps someone of his ilk. Morrow might want to come back as the No. 13 forward, but I’d decline. He played well at times, but his value is too low at this point.

No need to talk about the goaltending much. Bishop proved he can win a Cup and I have fully learned how to type the name of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is going to be a monster in net. Adam Wilcox could be a good one as well and Kristers Gudlevskis might be solid trade bait down the road while adding depth.

Draft One Week Away

This year’s loaded draft offers the Lightning a chance to add to an already solid talent pool.

There are so many players between picks 28-64 that are very intriguing and the Bolts can grab three. I would love to see Swedish centre Joel Eriksson Ek fall to 28, but that is unlikely. Sons of former NHLers Jake DeBrusk and Jansen Harkins – two heady forwards – could be there, though.

I like the sound of DeAngelo’s teammate at Sault Ste. Marie -- Zach Senyshyn -- who scored 26 goals in mainly a fourth-line role with such a talented forward group, and might be there in the second round. The Bolts need to upgrade size up front and add another right-hand shot on defense along with a goalie in the nine picks they own.

Look for my NHL and NBA mock drafts by next Wednesday.

No depression

I was not crushed by the Lightning loss in the finals. Maybe I don’t get wrapped up in the whole journey like I used to.

The only thing is, when you get that close and don’t raise the Cup you have to look at how long and bumpy the road is to get back to that point again. I feel confident the Bolts will have the chance to make a run every year from now on though. The ingredients are all there. They just need a little luck and for a few of their prospects to turn into helpful players in the next few years.

And. … for Drouin to remain wearing a Lightning sweater.

The Case for Jonathan Drouin

By Mark Pukalo

It’s unfortunate that it has become a battle -- the Jonathan Drouin fans who think the upside far outweighs his lack of experience versus Lightning supporters who would side with the coach on any decision and pass the debate off as whining.

That’s what you often get with a prospect as good as Drouin -- whose vision, skating ability and hands are at the highest levels – if he doesn’t blast onto the scene. Just think if this was Toronto. Even in Tampa, many fans want too much, too soon.

I remember how many Lightning fans wondered why Victor Hedman wasn’t running people over with the size he has, how they highlighted every mistake and were blind to the many more good plays he made – even as an 18-year-old.

Drouin, who has played three of 21 postseason games, seems to be getting the same treatment. His negatiives are exaggerated and positives forgotten.

Hedman is now one of the best defenseman in the league and is in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Lightning should beat the Chicago Blackhawks. All he needed was patience.

Drouin will be a standout player in this league someday soon. He’s too skilled. He’s too fast. He’s too smart. Let’s hope it is in Tampa Bay. Trading him because the coach can’t find a role for him would be Steve Yzerman’s worst nightmare.

Jon Cooper has done a terrific job since taking over the Lightning. The way he has gotten his team back on track after poor performances shows what kind of coach he can be. I just wonder if he has handled Drouin in the best way possible. Drouin is not a draft pick that requires two or three years of intense development and dues paying in the American Hockey League. No. 3 selections with his kind of talent pay their dues in the NHL, and learn on the job. Some are used in big roles right away because the team is bad, ala Drouin’s former Halifax teammate Nathan MacKinnon with Colorado. Drouin did not get that kind of ice time -- only 13:14 per game.

The Lightning did not need to push him right onto the top two lines. That part I get. I also understand that Drouin does not boast top-notch defensive instincts yet. You can see his mind working when he is out there, moving to positions he is supposed to be. It just does not come naturally - yet. But, in my opinion, he is smart and fast enough to make up for his deficiencies and his offensive instincts can make way more of an impact than those who have taken his spot.

One television analyst lazily said, “He’s minus-4, he’s gotta come out.” Drouin had just come on the ice for two of the goals against, with no chance to get into the play. Ben Bishop knocked one puck in his own net when the former Halifax Moosehead was on the ice and the fourth was Brendan Gallagher’s goal in Game 3 against Montreal where Drouin did not seem to be at fault.

My concern is not necessarily Cooper’s decision to play seven defensemen and 11 forwards. If that is the plan, J.T. Brown has proved his worth, Brenden Morrow’s experience is helpful and Cedric Paquette provides a fourth center with Brian Boyle. My problem is the use of Jonathan Marchessault and Vladislav Namestnikov over Drouin. Namestnikov played 10 games in the first two rounds and Drouin three. It should have been reversed. That’s not to say Marchessault and Namestnikov can’t do a job. They just don’t give you the boost Drouin can and their advantage defensively is minimal -- in my opinion.

Ultimately, as many have said, Cooper’s mistake may have been failing to use Drouin enough during the regular season. Drouin would gain a bigger role briefly, then quickly be moved to the fourth line. While the power play struggled, he was barely used. Perhaps with more time during the regular season, he would have been a more finished product during the playoffs.

Drouin didn’t have a great season. He was picked by some to be the Rookie of the Year and had 32 points in 70 games. But it was nowhere close to, “wildy underachieving,” as one Tampa columnist wrote and he was near the top of the NHL in assists per minute of ice time.

Maybe I go a little too far on this, but I wonder why Drouin skated with the Black Aces and was not even on the ice for pregame at times – even when he wasn’t expected to play. It doesn’t seem like a No. 3 pick overall should be treated that way.

Yzerman has been a tremendous GM. He has done almost everything right (still don’t like what the Bolts got for Dustin Tokarski). The one thing I wish he would do is push his philosophy a bit more on his coaches. You definitely want your coach to run the show on the ice and make his own decisions 99 percent of the time. I just wonder if Yzerman could be a tad more hands on.

Maybe Yzerman did this behind the scene, but he could have demanded one thing from Guy Boucher before everything fell apart for a coach that brought the Bolts within one win of the Cup Finals in 2011. Yzerman could have stressed tweaking Boucher’s coverage scheme in the defensive zone (no, not the 1-3-1) which teams figured out after a while.

Whatever has happened in the back rooms this season, it appears to me that Drouin’s growth has been stunted. The hope is that, with a summer to soul search, both Cooper and Drouin will come back ready to move forward.

The Lightning can win a Cup without Drouin. No doubt. But one big advantage that the Blackhawks have over Tampa Bay is that they can get scoring from all four lines. The Bolts, like others have said, basically have two scoring lines and two checking units. They could use a left wing spark if they go back to 12 forwards.

I disagree with the idea that Drouin should be a top-six winger next season or not in the lineup at all. These are different days in the NHL. In the past, you had two scoring lines and a checking line to go along with the pluggers and fighters on the fourth unit. These days, you normally have two top scoring lines, a third with offensive ability and the fourth works as a checking trio. Drouin can play in the top nine -- preferably with two guys that can shoot the puck, because he will find them.

If Steven Stamkos moves back to center, you could also see a top nine that includes lines such as Drouin-Stamkos-Killorn, the Triplets and Erne-Filppula-Callahan at some point with Paquette-Boyle-Brown as a fourth unit. Not bad.

Someday, I believe, we will laugh about this period in Drouin’s career. That is, if he is working his magic in a Lightning uniform -- not putting up 80-plus points a season somewhere else.

The Year in Movies: 2014

By Mark Pukalo

I have spent time and money in the first half of 2015 trying to find a hidden jewel among the movies from the previous year that I did not see in the theatre.

Although there were a few additions to my top 20 and many to the so-so red box category, 2014 was not a great year for movies. Like some other years, there were more great acting performances than great movies – none better than the pick for the best film. In my opinion, there were eight standout films -- for various reasons -- and one, well, Soared.

Here’s a look at the Year in Movies 2014:

Worst of the year: The Monuments Men – A great cure for Insomnia.

Almost worst of the year: The Signal, Jersey Boys, Cavalry

Most disappointing: Neighbors, Wish I Was Here, The Gambler

Did not see: Into the Woods, Big Eyes, Life Itself, Two Days, One Night and Noah among others

Enough value to make it worth a $1.50 rent when there is nothing else to watch: Fading Gigolo, Godzilla, 22 Jump Street, A Million Ways to Die in the West, A Most Wanted Man, When the Game Stands Tall, Fury, Nightcrawler, Foxcatcher (verrry creepy), White Bird in a Blizzard, Dear White People, A Most Violent Year, Taken3 (he has skills), Unbroken, Dumb & Dumber Too, Bad Words (might be a 2013 flick)

Most over-rated: The Theory of Everything

Honorable Mention: Edge of Tomorrow (decent sci-fi thriller), Lone Survivor (current war drama that makes you think), The Judge (Robert Duvall was solid; Downey, too), The Grand Budapest Hotel (humorous, but a bit over-rated). Let’s Be Cops (goofy comedy that didn’t annoy me), Cake (Jennifer Anniston as a woman dealing grief and pain), 50-to-1 (story about Mine That Bird’s upset win in the Derby), Elliott Smith: Heaven Adores You (Interesting documentary about a terrific musician who died way too soon), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Top 20

                                                   

20. Inherent Vice – Joaquin Phoenix plays a drugged out California PI in a mess of a comedy mystery movie that is so wild at times it makes you chuckle. Great cast. Josh Brolin is quite humorous as Big Foot, a weird cop.

19. Mockingjay – The third in the Hunger Games trilogy is basically a set up for the finale, but it has some interesting elements and the unbeatable Jen.

18. St. Vincent – Bill Murray is terrific in this mildly-entertaining film with a heart.

17. Ruddlerless – Interesting, imperfect movie that can really surprise you if you are not alert. Billy Crudup plays a father who loses a college-aged son. We’ll stop at that.

16. Kill the Messenger – Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb, a flawed reporter who faces problems after his mostly accurate article about CIA improprieties in Nicaragua. It makes you mad and sad.

15. Gone Girl – Not sure I liked the ending all that much, but a strong murder mystery with an absolutely chilling performance by Rosamund Pike.

14. Interstellar – Matthew McConaughy plays an astronaut on the mission of a lifetime to save the earth, which turns a little too mystical at the end. It is too powerful a film not to be in the top 10, though.

13. American Sniper – I walked out thinking it was a good movie, regardless of the arguments both ways about Chris Kyle and the things left out in his story. These soldiers were in an impossible situation and the first priority they had was to protect each other. I won’t judge Kyle unless there’s concrete evidence against him. I honor his service.

12. Wild – Expected maybe a tad more depth to the film, but enjoyed Reese Witherspoon’s journey along the trail. She fully deserved an Oscar nomination.

11. Draft Day – Can everything happen this way? No. But it’s a fun ride with Kevin Costner playing the GM of an NFL team trying to turn their fortunes around in a unique way.

10. Divergent – An interesting, action-filled science fiction trilogy begins with the amazing Shailene Woodley as the hero and the great Ashley Judd as her mom.

9. Beyond the Lights – A really good, under-the-radar film about life in the music business. Gorgeous superstar singer Gugu Mbatha-Raw needs to be saved and boy scout Nate Parker makes an attempt.

8. Selma – Extremely well done historical look at Martin Luther King’s march to Montgomery, Alabama.

7. The Fault in Our Stars – Not sure I have yet wiped the final tear from my eyes after this one. It’s a touching film about a pair of amazing young people – played by Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort -- fighting cancer in their own way.

6. Whiplash – J.K. Simmons kills it as the Bobby Knight of band leaders, pounding away at prize drum student Miles Teller to try and get the best from him.

5. Boyhood – A two-hour, 45-minute journey through the life of Mason – from childhood to college. You have to have three free hours with no distractions and stay with it to be rewarded. I have liked it even more the second and third time through.

4. The Imitation Game – Terrific performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in a story about the under-appreciated mathematician Alan Turing, who helped crack the Nazi code and develop the first computers.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy – Just a fun couple of hours with a unique group of “super heroes.” There is great music and enough smart, goofy moments to make you laugh. I AM GROOT!

2. Begin Again – A washed-up music executive (Mark Ruffalo) finds a lost, but brilliant singer-songwriter (Keira Knightley) and makes music with her. Perhaps it wasn’t edgy enough for the Academy, but I loved it despite its imperfections.

1.   Birdman – Captain Obvious. Yes. An amazing performance by Michael Keaton as a former celebrity actor from a super hero series trying to find credibility on Broadway. As good as Keaton is, Ed Norton and the adorable Emma Stone cap the film with standout efforts in their roles.

Previous picks for Best of the Year

2013 -- Nebraska

2012 – Silver Linings Playbook

2011 – The Descendants

2010 – The Social Network

2009 – Inglourious Basterds

2008 – Frost/Nixon (The Wrestler, a close second)

2007 – Once

Best of Decade 2000-2009 – Almost Famous