Music Videos Changed the World Almost 40 Years Ago

By Mark Pukalo

     Something exciting was happening late in the summer of 1981.

     My college career was about to begin at UConn and I had traveled with my family to visit relatives in Ohio. I don’t remember if we didn’t have cable back in Canterbury yet or the channel just wasn’t on our service. But downstairs at uncle Joe and aunt Irene’s house in Solon, I got my first glimpse of MTV. My world changed.

     I already loved music, of course, but videos made some songs come to life even more. The first one I viewed was Prince’s Little Red Corvette and many of those early videos are still some of the best ever.

     The golden era of MTV probably lasted only about a decade, maybe 15 years. But it was an amazing time where creativity was very high in the industry. Soon, movie directors were working on videos. Some performers made it an art form and raised the bar. Many will list MaDonna and Michael Jackson as the leaders in the field, but how many great videos did Mike's sister Janet produce?

      Remember Nina Blackwood, J.J. Jackson, Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter and Mark Goodman? Those were your first MTV VJs. Later, you had "Downtown" Julie Brown, Serena Altshul, Adam Curry, Daisy Fuentes, Bill Bellamy, Carson Daly, Karen "Duff" Duffy and many others.

      Unfortunately, when the 90s began MTV decided to slowly reduce videos and produce reality shows like “The Real World” and “Road Rules.” While those first shows were fun, it spawned many bad ones and many of us did not watch the channel anymore. 

     The network is still there, with videos on MTV Live, but it will never match it’s first decade again. VH1 can never be better than it was when the music channel launched in 1985. I watched a lot of Live Aid that summer on VH1. It was a place to go when a bad reality show was on MTV.

    There will always be the memories, though. With the 40-year anniversary of MTV’s first show on August 1, I have tried to rank the best videos of all time. It is not an easy task, but my criteria is fun, outrageous ideas, promoting the song, lip-synching ability and production. The “having fun with it” part may be the most important.

    I unveiled the top 50 every 48 hours during the first 100 days of the Biden Administration. Now that it is over. hopefully we can continue to return to a normal life.

    It’s not a perfect list. It was impossible to see every video I could. Perhaps country and rap will not be represented enough. But I have shown you most of the best.

    Here’s a look at some of the other videos that were considered for the top 50:

Honorable Mention:  Bohemian Rhapsody and I Want to Break Free - Queen; I Can't Take It - Cheap Trick; Twisting by the Pool and Money for Nothing - Dire Straits;  When Doves Cry and Little Red Corvette - Prince; Centerfold and Love Stinks - J Geils Band; I Got You - Split Enz, Boys of Summer - Don Henley; Jump - Van Halen; We’re Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister; Labrador - Aimee Mann; Rock the Casbah - The Clash; All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow; Cars - Gary Numan; Ship of Fools - World Party; What I Am - Edie Brickell & New Bohemians; Linger and Zombie  - The Cranberries; Smooth - Santana with Rob Thomas; Supernova - Liz Phair; The Warrior - Patty Smyth; Karma Chamelion - Culture Club; Everlong - Foo Fighters; November Rain - Guns & Roses, Umbrella - Rhianna; Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - Police; Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles; Sabotage - Beastie Boys; I'm Still Standing - Elton John; Round Here - Counting Crows; When I Think of You and Escapade - Janet Jackson; Vogue, Like a Prayer and Express Yourself - MaDonna; Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd; Oops, I Did it Again - Britney Spears; Friday, I'm in Love - The Cure; Unashamed Desire - Missy Higgins; Legs - ZZ Top; Rio - Duran Duran; I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Where the Streets Have No Name - U2; Don't Come Around Here No More - Tom Petty; Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo; Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners; Mr. Brightside - The Killers; Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley; Safety Dance - Men Without Hats; You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon; Simple Kind of Life - No Doubt; Missing You - John Waite; Maneater - Hall & Oates; Vacation - The Go Gos; The Bird and Jungle Love - Morris Day & the Time; Amish Paradise and Like a Surgeon - Weird Al Yankovic; Walk This Way - Run DMC; Buddy Holly - Weezer; Around the World - Daft Punk; Jeremy - Pearl Jam; Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean - Michael Jackson; Single Ladies and Girls - Beyonce; Humble - Kendrick Lamar; Firework - Katy Perry; Poker Face and Bad Romance - Lady Gaga; Gangstas Paradise - Coolio; Blinding Lights - The Weeknd; Happy - Pharrell Williams; Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry; South Side - Moby; Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai; Subdivisions - Rush; Mickey - Toni Basil; Down Under - Men at Work; Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins; Bad Blood - Taylor Swift with Kendrick Lamar; Get This Party Started - Pink; (She's) Sexy and 17 - The Stray Cats; Shake it Off - Taylor Swift; I Gotta Feeling - The Black-Eyed Peas; Whip It - Devo; Stay - Lisa Loeb; Losing My Religion and Everybody Hurts - R,E.M.; Radioactive - Imagine Dragons; Cannonball - The Breeders; Ready to Go - Republica; Every Day I Write the Book - Elvis Costello; Rockit - Herbie Hancock; We are the World - USA for Africa; Cruel to be Kind - Nick Lowe; Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders; Turning Japanese - The Vapours; Private Eyes - Hall and Oates; No Myth - Michael Penn: Not Ready to Make Nice - Dixie Chicks; Under the Milky Way - The Church; Water - Blue King Brown; Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees

TOP 50

50. Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles: This one has to start the countdown because at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981, it was the first video shown on MTV. The song had already been around for a while after going to No. 1 in England in 1979. Why was it picked to go first? “It made an aspirational statement,” MTV co-founder Bob Pittman said. “We didn’t expect to be competitive with radio, but it was certainly a sea-change kind of video.” I’ll be honest, when I first heard the song I thought it was “Benny Hill” killed the radio star.

49. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top: You wouldn’t have thought a group like ZZ Top would be good at these things, but the Texas rockers had fun with several videos - especially Gimme All Your Lovin', Legs, Velcro Fly and this one, which won an MTV Award for Best Direction.

48. Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant: The Englishman burst on the scene while leading the Ants in 1980 and later as a solo artist when he took this catchy tune to No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 in the US. Adam has fun with this video as he dances and tries to woo a pretty reporter.

47. Torn - Natalie Imbruglia: Natalie probably put me in a trance with her eyes and made me place her in the top 50, but it is still a great song and the former Australian soap opera star definitely acts torn up about her relationship in the video.

46. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J:  James Todd Smith is best known for his work on NCIS Los Angeles and other acting roles these days, but he won a Grammy for best rap performance and an MTV best rap video award (1991) for this tune. This video truly makes the song better.

45. Ironic - Alanis Morrisette: Alanis showed her acting chops in “Dogma” when she played God, and she has plenty of personality to pull off the one-woman show in this video. The song is well written and cheeky: “It’s meeting the man of my dreams. .. And then meeting his beautiful wife."

44. Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl and the boys have done well with their videos, getting seven at least nominated for MTV Awards, including this silly one - with a cameo from Jack Black - in which the band parodies the Airplane movies and lands it well. It also won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video (2000).

43. Rapture - Blondie: The rap lyrics in the tune are a bit ridiculous, but the irrepressible Debbie Harry makes the video work with her style as she struts down the street singing. The song was ranked 15th for the year 1981 by Billboard Magazine.

42. Hey Ya! - Outkast: The video is based on the Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, but with an American hip hop group debuting in London. It won MTV Video of the Year in 2004, with Andre 3000 playing all eight members of the band. I’m changing my name to Mark 1500.

41. Lose Yourself - Eminem: Never much of a Marshall Mathers III fan, but this song certainly rocks. The video - which he directed and includes some scenes from his movie “8 Mile” - was nominated for MTV’s highest award in 2003.

40. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel: The landmark video, which uses stop-action animation, won nine MTV awards in 1987 and was ranked fourth best all time by the network. Reportedly, Gabriel laid under a sheet glass for 16 hours to film it. 

39. Hot for Teacher - Van Halen: Waldo, whose voice is done by the late Phil Hartman, meets his new teacher in the mildly inappropriate video from the 1984 album. Two models, including a former Miss Canada runnerup, are used in the crazy skit by Eddie, David and the boys.

38. I Melt With You - Modern English: It’s just a performance video, but the imagery in the dark, smoky room creates a perfect atmosphere for one of the videos I saw the first week I watched MTV. The song, about a couple making love as atomic bombs drop around them, is often mentioned as one of the top one-hit wonders of all time and is one of my all-time favorites.

37. Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes: The British synthpop band recorded a new version of Burt Bacharach/Hal David song - written in the early 1960s and immortalized by Dionne Warwick later in the decade - in 1983 and it made it all the way to No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard chart. The video has wonderful imagery as lead singer Pete Byrne discovers his, now famous, lost love is getting married.

36. Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper:  Lauper bounces through the streets of New York in this memorable video with cameos from Dan Aykroyd and wrestler captain Lou Albano, who plays Cyndi’s father in this one and appeared in more of her film efforts. Lorne Michaels helped Lauper with expensive new digital editing equipment for the video as well.

35. The Pleasure Principle - Janet Jackson: The first of two songs by JJ on the list (none from Justin Timberlake by the way). In this one she arrives at a loft alone and practices her amazing dancing routines. The video won an MTV award for Best Choreography in 1988.

34. Goodbye to You - Patty Smyth & Scandal: This was the first time most music fans saw the future wife of John McEnroe, along with her powerful voice, and the video is a perfect compliment to the fun pop/rock/dance classic. The tune only made it to No. 65 on the U.S. charts, but has become way more popular since.

33. You Get What You Give - New Radicals:  The video was shot in the Staten Island Mall and shows teenagers taking control with the look of a flash mob, letting dogs out of cages and putting businessmen in them. The group reunited after more than two decades last month to perform the tune at Joe Biden’s Inauguration, because the President said it was his family’s “rallying theme song.”

32. Criminal - Fiona Apple: She's been a bad, bad girl. It’s sexy, freaky, intense and the New York City native beautifully lip-syncs one of the best-written songs of the 1990s. It won MTV’s Best Cinematography Award in 1998.

31. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to Party) - Beastie Boys:  Never been a huge fan of the New York City hip-hop group, but this is a hilarious video with two brothers throwing a party and hoping “no bad people show up.” MTV picked it as the 66th best video of all time in 1999.

30. Papa Don’t Preach - Madonna: Madonna Louise Ciccone has at least a half dozen videos that deserved consideration, but this is the first of two that stood out due to the story, that short haircut, her dancing and an appearance by Danny Aiello as her dad. And folks, she’s keeping her baby.

29. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana:  The first track on the group’s second album “Nevermind” became its calling card and won two MTV awards (best alternative, best new group). The video is based on a school concert gone wild, much like the Ramones’ film “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.”

28. Call it Off - Tegan and Sara:  One of my first friends when I moved to Florida suggested I check out the Canadian twin duo’s music and this was one of their songs that I added to itunes. Poor Tegan gets tied up with telephone wire by Sara in the simple video for this well-written, cheeky breakup tune. “Maybe I woulda been something you’d be good at.”

27. Beat It - Michael Jackson: The video reportedly cost $150,000 to make and was shot on the streets of LA with street gangs doing a choreographed dance routine. The short film won several awards and the late Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo makes the song a classic.

26. Cryin’ - Aerosmith:  A 16-year-old Alicia Silverstone stars - the first of three appearances in the band’s videos - as she rebels against her cheating boyfriend, ending the story with one finger. It was the most requested video on MTV in 1993. 

25. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar: This 1983 video was the first to use dialogue, but is highlighted by the rebellious choreographed dance from Benatar and friends. The irrepressible Benatar, who has been snubbed by the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame so far, was also the first female to have a video play on MTV (You Better Run, second overall on Aug. 1, 1981).

24. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel:  Billy reportedly wrote the top-five hit about his girlfriend at the time Elle Macpherson, but it was eventually inspired by his future wife Christie Brinkley as well. Joel is a downtown mechanic in the video as uptown Brinkley struts in for help on her fancy car.

23. Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes:  The unique video from the creative and talented Jack White in his breakthrough band - along with former wife Meg - was done with Lego animation while the son of director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is shown building as the rocking song begins. It was nominated for video of the year by MTV in 2002 and won for breakthrough video, best visual effects and best editing. The song was also featured in the movie “Silver Linings Playbook” as part of the dance routine by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

22. You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift:  Taylor plays both the bad girl and the nice girl next door in this sweet video about a high school love drama. It won Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Awards. No offense Beyonce, but the award was well deserved despite a disgusting protest by mentally unstable Kanye West.

21. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads:  Lead singer David Byrne’s lyrics (Brian Eno co-wrote) and singing were said to be inspired by preachers’ sermons and the video displays religious rituals as Byrne moves in a crazy fashion.  “Same as it ever was!” The video was choreographed by Toni Basil, known for her hit song “Mickey.”

20. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor:  Say what you will about her infamous appearance on SNL in 1992 (in the end, she was kinda right, wasn’t she?), but this is undoubtedly one of the greatest vocal performances in the history of music. The Irishwoman makes this song written by Prince soar and the video aptly focuses on her singing while winning MTV's top honor in 1990.

19. She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby: The Englishman reportedly came up with the idea and outline for the 1982 video before actually writing the song’s lyrics, as he checks himself into the “Home for Deranged Scientists.” It’s wacky, but it works, with Dolby being examined by a mad scientist and getting seduced by secretary Miss Sakamoto. Good Heavens.

18. Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen:  Brian De Palma (Scarface) directed this video that was shot in Saint Paul, Minn. in 1984 and later won an MTV award for Best Stage Performance. The Boss picks a fan in the crowd to dance with at the end of the video and it was a young actress named Courteney Cox (Friends). I have a great memory looking down at the whole crowd dancing to this song at the Fairgrounds during an encore of Bruce’s show here in 2009.

17. I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory - Kathleen Edwards:  The talented Canadian plays pickup hockey with former Whaler Paul Coffey, former Springfield Falcons coach Marty McSorley (ok, maybe they did more than described) and Blue Rodeo lead singer Jim Cuddy while CBC announcer Dave Hodge also appears in this cheeky video. Edwards, who recently released a new album after an eight-year absence, owns a coffee shop called “Quitters” outside Ottawa. Hoping to get an omelette and coffee there some day.

16. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol:  The early MTV video is apparently based on the post-apocalyptic movie “Omega Man” with Billy performing around a bunch of dancing mutants. The song, a staple at all UConn dance parties in the early 80s, reportedly was inspired after Idol and bassist Tony James saw people dancing in front of mirrors instead of with each other in Japan when on tour with their band Generation X in the late 70s.

15. Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson: The powerful 1989 song about racial harmony that reached No. 2 on the billboard chart was the backdrop for a Grammy-winning long form video and two MTV awards (choreography, dance). “With music by our side, to break the color lines. Let’s work together to improve our way of life. Join voices in protest, to social injustice. A generation full of courage come forth with me.”

14. Smuggler’s Blues - Glenn Frey:  The late Frey plays a pilot/smuggler in this short film that inspired an episode of “Miami Vice,” in which the former Eagle guest stars. The tune was written by Frey and friend Jack Tempchin, making it all the way to No. 12 on the Billboard chart and winning an MTV Award for Best Concept Video in 1985. Frey's wife at the time, Janie, is his smuggling accomplice in the video.

13. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer: Palmer’s iconic band of glossy models or human mannequins (Julie Pankhurst, Patty Kelly, Mak Gilchrist, Julia Bolino and Kathy Davies) appear in the first of four videos by the late Englishman. Palmer’s only No. 1 hit was nominated for MTV Video of the Year in 1986 and he won for Best Male Video.

12. Rush, Rush - Paula Abdul: The video is based on the classic movie “Rebel Without a Cause” with the great Keanu Reeves playing the part of James Dean. The beautiful love song was the former Laker Girl's fifth of six straight No. 1 songs and got nominated for Best Female Video by MTV in 1991.

11. Borderline - MaDonna: MaDonna Louise Ciccone plays a pretty street girl who is dating a Latino man during the mid 80s before being discovered and wooed by a British photographer. At the time, interracial relationships were rare on screen and MaDonna was lauded for the effort while being nominated for Best New Artist at the MTV Awards in 1984. The top-10 tune is my favorite by the former Queen of Pop.

10. I Lost on Jeopardy - Weird Al Yankovic:  The Californian always hits the mark with his videos and I enjoyed this parody of Greg Kihn’s hit “Jeopardy”the most, barely beating out some classics like Eat it, Amish Paradise, Like a Surgeon and Smells like Nirvana among others. Weird Al is a “complete loser” on Jeopardy and does not even get any Rice a Roni - the San Francisco treat - but is later driven away to safety by Kihn and bride.

9. California Girls - David Lee Roth:  The Van Halen lead singer covered the famous Beach Boys song on his 1985 solo album “Crazy From the Heat” and had a whole lot of fun as a Tour Guide with bikini-clad beauties in the video. The song went to No. 3 on the billboard chart - the same as it topped out for the Beach Boys two decades earlier - and has Carl Wilson and Christopher Cross adding backing vocals.

8. Love Shack - The B-52s: Rolling Stone magazine named this fun tune the best single of 1989 and it also won an MTV Award for Best Group Video. Adam Bernstein, who directed many episodes of “Breaking Bad,” was the director on the video that makes you instantly sing along, The song brings back memories of Wellfleet, Mass. where me and long-time friend Ty Roby would change the words whenever we drove by the “Clam Shack.”

7. Freedom 90 - George Michael:  Michael, who passed away in 2016, wrote the top-10 hit about becoming a new man after leaving Wham! and the pressures of the music business but chose not to appear in the high-rotation video directed by David Fincher. Models Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjiana Patitz, Christy Turlington, John Pearson and Cindy Crawford lip-synched the words to the catchy number. It was the second single on his outstanding 1990 album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1,” and was nominated for five MTV Awards.

6. Voices Carry - 'Til Tuesday: The great Aimee Mann, who wrote the 1985 song as the lead singer of the group, said she didn’t perform it at concerts for a while because she thought parts were “kinda dumb,” but recently said it became “weirdly appropriate.” In one of the best moments of all time in music video history, Mann stands and belts out the lyrics in defiance of her abusive boyfriend at a formal theater. It also opens with one of the best lyrics of all time: “In the dark I’d like to read his mind, but I’m frightened of the things I might find.”

5. Kiss - Prince: The exquisitely-written song by the Purple Yoda was No. 1 for two weeks on the Billboard chart in 1986 and won a Grammy for Best R & B performance, but his effort in this video somehow did not earn an MTV Award nomination. Monique Mannen is the veiled dancer and Wendy Melvoin of the Revolution plays guitar as Prince sings “You don’t have to be rich to be my girl, you don’t have to be cool to rule my world, ain’t no particular sign I’m more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your. …. kiss.”

4. Thriller - Michael Jackson: The Library of Congress describes it as the “most famous music video of all time” and it was the first of its kind to be inducted into the National Film Registry. John Landis directed the epic 13-plus minute video with undead dancers and Ola Ray playing MJ’s girlfriend. It is a mini movie and, like any of the final four, it could have been No. 1. It was that close.

3. All of the Good Ones are Taken - Ian Hunter:  The former lead singer of the English band Mott the Hoople produced a tremendous album in 1981 called “Short Back ‘n Sides,” and this was the title track of his next record in 1983 with "the Big Man" Clarence Clemons on tenor sax. I believe I first saw this video, which was nominated for Best Direction at the MTV Awards, on the old NBC show Friday Night Videos and it has been my favorite ever since for its humor and storyline. The single made it to No. 25 on the Billboard chart.

2. Take on Me - A-ha: The Norwegian synth-pop band took this second version of the song to No. 1 in 1985 - largely on the back of the innovative second video directed by Steve Barron that won six MTV Awards. The video uses pencil-sketch animation as Bunty Bailey dives into the comic-book world and her boyfriend at the time - Morten Harket, the group’s lead singer - then tries to join her back in the real world.

1. You Might Think - The Cars: The song won the first MTV Video of the Year award in 1984, beating out Michael Jackson’s Thriller among others, and reached No. 7 on the Billboard chart. It was one of the first to use computer graphics as songwriter and singer Ric Ocasek goes in full pursuit of beautiful model Susan Gallagher. No doubt the best scene is when Ric pushes Susan’s prom date out of the picture. It’s humorous, sells the song and is well lip-synched. R.I.P. Ric and Benjamin Orr.

 

Kooch-less Lightning Ready for Another Cup Run

 

By Mark Pukalo

Why not them? Again.

The pressure should be gone. This amazing core group that leads the Tampa Bay Lightning finally has its much-deserved Stanley Cup. It may have been one of the toughest to win in the fabled history of the tournament.

Now, the players have a chance to add to their legacy before changes will have to be made due to salary cap issues for the next full season in 2021-22.

There’s no reason they can’t be the first team to repeat since Pittsburgh (2016-17). Even though the Bolts used every ounce of energy to finish the job last October and they will be without their leading scorer, along with a few other important role players, this special group should still be the favorite to make it two in a row during the Covid-shortened 56-game season.

Nikita Kucherov underwent hip surgery recently and won’t be around until at least the playoffs, but the Lightning expect to have captain Steven Stamkos healthy and ready to go after the All Star missed all but one game of the postseason last summer and fall. 

Defensemen Zach Bogosian, Braydon Coburn and, most-importantly, Kevin Shattenkirk are gone along with fourth-line center Cedric Paquette and wing Carter Verhaeghe. Each can be replaced if young players rise up and reach their potential.

The most important newcomer will be former first-round pick Cal Foote, who is vying for a role on the right side of the defense. It is time for him to shine, and the hope is that coach Jon Cooper gives the son of former NHL D man Adam Foote some rope to ease into a role playing beside Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh or Mikhail Sergachev - or likely all of the above.  

The Bolts are set in the net with Andrei Vasilevskiy, the best goalie in the world, while they hope veteran Curtis McElhinney can match last season’s solid performances in a backup role. Free agent pickup Christopher Gibson is a capable third netminder, but it would not be a surprise if the Lightning looks for a bit more depth between the pipes.

One of the advantages Tampa Bay has to start the season is their lineup up front is virtually set. There shouldn’t be much of an adjustment period with Stamkos likely taking Kucherov’s spot on the top line along with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat - who both had remarkable playoff runs. 

Kucherov’s injury, and the deft move by Bolts general manager Julien Brisebois to acquire hobbled Marian Gaborik and Anders Nilsson from Ottawa to create enough cap space through long term injured reserve, allowed Tampa Bay to keep both Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn for at least one more year while signing three important restricted free agents. Those veterans will likely be flanking center Anthony Cirelli, although Johnson was waived Monday in a cap-saving move. If Johnson struggles early, it would not be a surprise if Cooper gives Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov or Alex Barre-Boulet a shot in that spot. Joseph may get a shot on opening night.

The irrepressible Yanni Gourde expects to stay between Baraclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman on a line that may have been the key to winning the Cup. Coleman and Goodrow are in the final years of their contracts, so it will be interesting to see what happens as the season goes on. It’s possible at some point you might see Goodrow drop to the fourth line while one of the younger players steps into his role to stir the pot a bit.

Pat Maroon is "back to back" and goes for three Cups in a row after signing for two more years. The Big Rig will have some new linemates. Mitchell Stephens gets the first shot to replace Paquette at center and then the battle for the other wing spot is likely down to Volkov and Joseph to start. But much can happen with Barre-Boulet, Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, Ross Colton and others continuing to make progress up front.

It will be interesting to see who emerges. I believe the Lightning have better prospects than many of the experts think. The next two seasons will be a test of that question.

The Bolts’ new division - for this season only - will be fascinating with Dallas, Carolina, Nashville and Columbus likely battling for playoff spots alongside the champs. Florida could also be a factor if Sergei Bobrovsky returns to form and their changes up front create more scoring depth, while Chicago may be a threat if they stick around long enough to make moves at the deadline. Detroit, meanwhile, is starting its rebuild.

So what are the keys to a second straight Cup in the Bay area? Health is always near the top, especially with a big point producer already gone. The right side of the defense - Erik Cernak, Jan Rutta, Foote, Luke Schenn and maybe even Ben Thomas - must be better than it looks on paper. The Bolts also need balanced scoring. They can’t just depend on the top line to provide all the offense. But perhaps the most important thing is to be heading into the postseason with a little momentum. It does not matter if they end up as the first, second, third or fourth seed. It does matter how they are playing in April.

It will be a strange season, with a lot of empty arenas for a while, taxi squads, plenty of roster and lineup changes, but the Lightning is positioned just fine for a repeat despite the loss of Kucherov.

It sure does feel good that the Bolts aren’t still looking for that first Cup since 2004 though, with a trail of failures behind them, doesn’t it? They have the blueprint now. The talent is still there. It’s time to just play.

Sit back and enjoy Lightning fans. Another fun season is on the way, starting Wednesday.

It’s impossible to make picks now. So much can change before the playoffs. But the run of excellence among Tampa professional sports teams will continue.

Two in a row? Yes, they can.

The Lightning Learned Their Lessons Well

 

By Mark Pukalo

Most of the players grew together for many years. They suffered together. They learned together through the pain. Oh, how they learned. 

Now, they can celebrate together.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the Stanley Cup champions. We could have said that in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. They came up short, sometimes in the most gut-wrenching ways. But somehow in this year of gloom, doom and anger, it seemed right that the Bolts would give the bay area something to feel good about.

It is amazing how perfectly the obstacles were laid out in front of them this summer after more than four months away from the ice due to the coronavirus pandemic. This special group used all the lessons it endured through the failures and found a way to break down the wall.

The 2018-19 Lightning tied the NHL record for wins in a regular season (62) before being swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets and John Tortorella - the coach that brought Tampa Bay its other Cup in 2004. It seemed fitting that the Bolts would face the Jackets and Torts in the first round this time around and push them aside in five games.

If Tampa Bay was going to win a Cup, you knew it was going to have to go through the Boston Bruins at some point. The Bolts did that - just like in 2018 - after losing the first game of the series.

Next up was the New York Islanders, a scrappy defensive team with enough offensive talent to drive you nuts, but this was a coaches’ challenge. Barry Trotz bested Lightning coach Jon Cooper and led the Washington Capitals to the Cup in 2018, and he stood at the door of the finals again. This time, Cooper’s team pushed through the small crack Trotz left.

Of course, the final hurdle would be Dallas. Rick Bowness was Cooper’s associate coach during much of this team’s run from 2013-18 and was let go by then-GM Steve Yzerman when the Jedi felt the defense the veteran ran was just not good enough. Just over two years later, the Bolts blanked Bowness’ team 2-0 to finish their journey to the championship.

There were so many highlights along the way. Brayden Point’s winning goal in the first game of the playoffs during the fifth overtime and Hall of Fame broadcaster Rick Peckham’s last call being Point’s series clincher in the extra session. Victor Hedman’s series against the Bruins when he had four goals, two assists, a plus-7 and ended it all with a double-overtime winner. Nikita Kucherov’s winning goal in the final seconds of Game 2 in the Eastern finals off a heat-seeking pass by Ryan McDonagh that induced the king of all fist pumps from Cooper on the bench. Anthony Cirelli’s delayed reaction to the series clincher against the Islanders. Injured captain Steven Stamkos scoring a signature goal in his only 2:47 of the playoffs in Game 3 of the finals. Andrei Vasilevskiy making an amazing kick save on his back in Game 6 of the finals after the whistle, even though it would not have counted. Nothing was getting by him this night. Mikhail Sergachev’s celebrations. The series of blocks made in the final seconds of the Cup-clinching game, players sprawling all over the ice to get Vasy the shutout.

And don’t give me the crap that winning this title was easier. In my opinion, it was harder. There were no home games, they were away from family for months, they played back-to-back days several times. This was a grind.

“I am in awe of what our guys accomplished,” Bolts GM Julien Brisebois told reporters. “I am in awe of how deep they had to dig, physically and mentally, to bring the Cup back to Tampa.”

There were so many more great moments. Every player did their part. They all had a role and did their jobs well.

Hedman - The Conn Smythe winner was a beast throughout the playoffs, scoring 10 goals to put his name with Hall of Famers Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey in the record books among scoring defensemen.

Stamkos - The injury did not stop him from being a leader throughout and scoring an inspiring goal.

Kucherov - Led the way in the playoffs with 34 points, but most of all showed the discipline and toughness needed of a star in the biggest games.

Point - Led the playoffs in goals with 14 and three of them were game winners. No team could contain him. What a third-round pick.

Ondrej Palat - Was a perfect compliment to Kucherov and Point on the top line, scoring 11 goals and playing his Selke-worthy defense.

Cirelli - Got off to a slow start in the playoffs, but was better and better as the road got tougher.

Alex Killorn - Was a monster on the wall at times and his penalty killing with Cirelli, primarily, was elite.

Tyler Johnson - Perhaps the weak link through the playoffs with just two goals after the preliminary games, but to his credit he was probably at his best in the finals.

Barclay Goodrow - Blood and guts through the whole postseason, winning faceoffs, killing penalties, winning board battles, making big hits and annoying opponents.

Blake Coleman - Zero goals in his first 16 games with the club, but five in the last 18 and some fantastic minutes on both sides of the ice.

Yanni Gourde - Followed a so-so regular season with a standout 22 playoff games, scoring seven goals with seven assists and a plus-12 at center. Some of his shifts were epic.

Pat Maroon - The big rig is “back-to-back.” Made some key plays along the road and his experience was very valuable.

Cedric Paquette - Avoided bad penalties for the most part, hit everything that moved and basically did his job. His setup of Coleman’s insurance goal in Game 6 of the finals was brilliant.

Carter Verhaeghe - Had some good shifts and did not look out of place when he was in there.

Mitchell Stephens - Gave the Lightning what they needed when he played. Had six shots in the five-overtime game.

Alexander Volkov - A calm, solid, mistake-free 9:34 in the Cup-clinching game.

Mathieu Joseph - Did not play, but it was good for him to be there and take in the experience. The hair was awesome, too. 

McDonagh - Not many points, but he was a force all over the ice and made very few mistakes while playing big minutes against the most talented forwards.

Sergachev - Sometimes he makes you pull your hair out, but man does he make a lot of great plays. 

Kevin Shattenkirk - His experience and calm was very important on the back end while his production (three goals, 13 points, plus-8) was outstanding. Class guy off the ice, too.

Eric Cernak - Was minus-4 the first seven games of the playoffs and plus-6 the last 15 - plus-4 in the final three. Did his job.

Zach Bogosian - Proved to be a great acquisition, playing some solid minutes throughout - including Game 6 of the finals.

Jan Rutta - Surprise insertion into the lineup during the finals and he played well the first two of four games - both wins.

Luke Schenn - Made his presence felt on defense in 11 playoff games and finished with a plus-3 overall.

Braydon Coburn - When he was called upon, the veteran played three very good games.

Vasilevskiy - Gave up two or fewer goals in 16 of 25 games in the bubble and more than three only three times with a 1.90 goals-against average overall. He was 7-0 after a loss.

Curtis McElhinney - Did not play, but helped the Lightning get there.

Then, there is Cooper. I have been critical of him over the last 6-7 years for many of the moves he has made, not made and how he seemed to play favorites. He gets full credit this postseason. He had his team ready to play every night and never lost two in a row. Coop pushed all the right buttons. Whether it was him or his assistants, whoever came up with playing Gourde between Coleman and Goodrow might have had the best idea of the postseason. I wondered why he went with Schenn and seven defensemen at one point. Cooper ended up being right. I didn’t agree with Rutta going in. He played fine. When Rutta seemed to be fading, Cooper went back to Bogosian. It was the right move. I did not understand Volkov in the clinching game. The Russian played just fine.

I am so happy I was wrong about Cooper. He can win 16 NHL playoff games in a season. Now we know for sure.

I did not have a problem with Brisebois spending two first-round picks to bring in Coleman and Goodrow. They were perfect players to add, giving the Bolts more grit. The only worry I had was including young forward Nolan Foote in the Coleman deal, which I thought was excessive. But, man, well worth it now. I did not agree with the signing of Bogosian, mainly because he had rarely been healthy. I was wrong. Bogo was an important piece. JB did a wonderful job.

Hey, I’m not always wrong. But I sure love being wrong when it means we can celebrate a Stanley Cup.

I came to live in Tampa in November of 2008. Stamkos was just getting his feet wet in the NHL. While I was driving through South Carolina with a full car, I heard Barry Melrose was fired. 

Thankfully, I was brought into the Lightning family as a writer for the website and the team welcomed the top three picks of the 2009 draft to meet the media. John Tavares was a very serious, driven mature guy for sure. Hedman just seemed at home with everything that was going on, the type of personality you’d want to build around - calm and likable. Duchene had some personality, but seemed less mature and driven as the other two. I remember being thrilled that Hedman was the pick at No. 2 for the Bolts.

Stamkos and Hedman. Two big cornerstones added in two years. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing with injuries and some tough years, but the character of these two men shined through for the last decade. It was fitting and wonderful to see Stamkos hand the Cup to Hedman on a magical September 28 night. Two good people, two of my favorites in 35 years as a sportswriter, are now two Stanley Cup champions. 

The stars were stars in this Cup run. That was needed. But the team as a whole stood tall.

As Hall of Fame coach Fred Shero said and many in the Lightning organization repeated in 2004: “Win today and we walk together forever.” 

This team endured a lot over the last six years, but yes, now this special group can walk together forever.

What’s Next

The job was made a little easier when you win a Cup, but Brisebois has a lot of work to do this month to get the Lightning under the salary cap whenever the 2021 season begins.

With Sergachev, Cirelli and Cernak due new contracts and big raises, some difficult decisions and conversations are on the horizon. 

If the top three get what is expected, the Lightning will need to shave somewhere between $6-10 million off the cap. Joseph, Verhaeghe, Volkov and Stephens are also restricted free agents. Shattenkirk, Bogosian, Rutta, Schenn and Maroon are all unrestricted FAs.

Can you trade or buy out Johnson? Do you deal glue-guy Killorn, whose no-trade is now modified? Is there a chance you move Cirelli (not that you want to at all) and bring back a huge package? Paquette could also be dealt and it will be hard to bring back Maroon and Shattenkirk.

The Lightning have some kids knocking on the door like Boris Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh, Ross Colton and Alex Barre Boulet. Verhaeghe, Stephens, Volkov and Joseph can also contribute more.

It will be interesting to see what happens. But whether it was Yzerman or now Brisebois, the Lightning always get it done in the GM office. Director of Scouting Al Murray, who deserves a ton of credit for his work over the years in the draft including Kucherov (second round), Cirelli and Point (third), Palat (seventh), will keep adding character and talent to the organization. That's a given.

 Two in a row. Why not?

One More Mountain to Climb for the Lightning

 

By Mark Pukalo

After three grueling series that included six overtime games, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Four more wins and the Bolts can celebrate a second Stanley Cup title in their history, but they face another difficult obstacle in a Dallas Stars team that is finally realizing its potential.

The Lightning has reached this point by scoring clutch goals, limiting turnovers, playing solid defense at key times, getting big performances from their three healthy superstar skaters and fantastic goaltending to beat the Blue Jackets, Bruins and Islanders.

They will require more of the same to finish the job and may need another superstar to make an appearance and give a boost to their inconsistent power play.

Perhaps the most important issue for Tampa Bay as they embark on the journey in the finals Saturday is health. Brayden Point is playing at less than 100 percent, Nikita Kucherov is banged up and captain Steven Stamkos has yet to play in the postseason, but he has been skating. Heck, probably everyone in the lineup is playing hurt.

The Bolts have to fight through it as they did in the first three rounds and make plays, keep their structure defensively and allow Andrei Vasilevskiy to work his magic between the pipes.

Dallas, like the Lightning, loves to get their defensemen involved in the offense and that will be a key. In my opinion, Tampa Bay’s defenseman Victor Hedman is the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy with nine goals and a league-best plus-19, but if the Stars win you could make a case for 21-year-old D man Miro Heiskanen (22 points, 21 games) to take the trophy. One of the keys to the series will be how each defense deals with the aggressive rearguards.

Dallas, coached by former Tampa Bay assistant Rick Bowness, will need No. 2 goaltender Anton Khudobin (.920 save percentage playoffs) to continue his standout postseason. Vasilevskiy (.930 SP postseason) knocked out one fellow Russian netminder in Semyon Varlamov last series against the Islanders and now faces another countryman on a roll. If the Lightning get to Khudobin, will former Bolt Ben Bishop be healthy enough to spell him?

The Stars have plenty dangerous offensive performers in captain Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, Denis Gurianov and playoff ace Joe Pavelski. Once again, it is important the Lightning get some secondary offense from guys like Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. 

The games between these two teams the last few years have been offensive shows, but that will likely change in the heat of the Stanley Cup finals. It will come down to limiting quality chances and that again falls on the Lightning defense corps.

The Bolts held the Islanders to two or fewer goals in five of six games, along with the final three contests against the offensively-gifted Bruins. Hedman and Ryan McDonagh can’t do it all. The other four or five defensemen must continue to step up.

Eric Cernak had his best series against the Islanders. Zach Bogosian has made very few mistakes. Kevin Shattenkirk whiffed on that shot in overtime versus the Isles to lose Game 5, but has been very good overall. Mikhail Sergachev drives you nuts at times, but he also makes plays. Luke Schenn has been surprisingly solid as No. 7, except for his struggles in Game 3 versus the Islanders.

The question that may have to be answered is what happens if Stamkos is ready to play? Go back to 12/6, sit Tyler Johnson, or something else? Jon Cooper has pressed the right buttons most of the playoffs so far. But his toughest job may be over the next week with the injuries he has in the locker room. Can he finally shut his critics up?

The Cup is now sitting right in front of the Lightning. It is time to reach out and grab it and wash away all the pain of the previous five years.

Four more solid efforts in their defensive zone, intelligent play in the neutral zone, and some timely goals can bring the Cup back to the beach before the end of the month.

Lightning Defense Must Shine Again

 

      By Mark Pukalo

      Eight tough wins down, eight more to go.

      The Tampa Bay Lightning have navigated two major hurdles, sending pesky Columbus home in the first round and winning four in a row to eject the big bad Boston Bruins from the Toronto bubble.

      Still, the road to the promised land is far from paved for the Bolts. Two years ago in this position they seemed like they were ready to add a second Stanley Cup and lost their momentum after beating the Bruins - getting outplayed throughout by Washington to end their dream.

      The challenge now is to stay focused and ramp up their level of play to take on a team that has probably performed better than anyone else in the postseason. The New York Islanders were outstanding in the Toronto bubble and will travel to Edmonton to meet the Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals. Standing at the door again is future Hall of Fame coach Barry Trotz, whose Capitals shut out Tampa Bay for almost the final eight periods of the series two years ago.

      Bolts coach Jon Cooper washed away the stench of last year’s first-round loss against John Tortorella and Columbus in the opening round, beat the Bruins for the second time in three seasons and now he’ll try to continue to silence his critics. It’s Cooper vs. Trotz II.

     Listen, the players ultimately decide the game. How they execute is the difference 90 percent of the time or more. But Cooper has another big chance to get the Bolts over the top. Is it his time? Or will Trotz have more answers like he seemed to have in 2018.

     Cooper has pushed the right buttons so far. He won't have injured captain Steven Stamkos again, but the Lightning are still talented enough to get the job done like they did against the Bruins.

      The Islanders can clog up the ice with their system defensively much like Columbus, but they are more mobile and have a few more dangerous offensive players than the Blue Jackets. New York’s top line of Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee and the irrepressible Mathew Barzal will pose just as much of a challenge as the Bruins’ top unit. Cooper must decide whether to use Anthony Cirelli’s line or Yanni Gourde’s threesome against them. Both must play well and Tampa Bay will need better from Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn with Cirelli.

     Each team has received secondary scoring and that may be key to the series. Brayden Point and a healthy Nikita Kucherov have led the way for the Bolts, but everyone has to contribute without Stamkos available. 

      I think Tampa Bay can get at New York’s defense and goaltending just like it did against Boston, when the Lightning generated 169 shots in five games. The Bolts should have an advantage in goal, even though Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss have stood up so far. The key will be how well the Lightning defense continues to play. Victor Hedman has been a monster and Tampa Bay's best player while fellow defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Zach Bogosian have stepped up big time. That group of six or seven rearguards cannot let down. They must disrupt the Islanders, not allowing Barzal and others to cruise around the zone looking to create openings. 

     The Bolts were outstanding defensively against Boston two years ago, then let the Capitals dominate the puck and wear them down before winning Game 7 at Amalie Arena. 

      To me, that’s the key to this series. Florida, Washington and Philadelphia could not handle the Islanders offense in the long run. The Lightning must limit the bad turnovers leading to transition and get the puck out of their zone cleanly. Simple as that.

      Yes, Andrei Vasilevskiy could win the series by himself. But the Bolts must give him a chance to shine.

      Tampa Bay needed to do several things to beat Boston and the Lightning checked off all the boxes. Here’s a look at what we talked about before that series.

     * Keep the Bruins power play off the ice as much as possible, but the Lightning must be very good on the penalty kill when needed. Mostly check. Boston had five power-play goals and the Bolts generated four. That’s pretty good. The Bruins did have 17 opportunities in five contests, which was a bit too much.

     * Limit blind passes, hope passes, drop passes moving forward with the puck. Mostly check. There probably was a bit too much of this during certain stretches, but they recovered well and Vasilevskiy was outstanding.

     * Keep the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak line contained. Check. The perfection line had its points, but they did not dominate and the Bolts top line was just as productive.

     * Get goals from secondary offensive threats. Check. Palat scored five times, Blake Coleman made big plays and Cirelli was better as the series went on.

     * Pat Maroon, Cedric Paquette and the feisty third line of Coleman-Gourde-Barclay Goodrow must get under the skin of the Bruins without taking extra penalties, and keep their over-rated defense working hard to get the puck out. Check. They did annoy the heck out of the Boston defense, giving the Bolts extra time with the frozen biscuit.

     * Vasilevskiy must shut the door on the Bruins at key times and show once again he is the best goalie on the planet. The Bolts should have an advantage in net against Jaroslav Halak and it must be noticed. Major check. The Big Cat dominated, stopping 147 of 157, and many of the 10 he gave up were unstoppable.

     * Improved power play. Check. Getting three in Game 3 was a dagger after Kucherov moved to the left circle. Great adjustment there by the coaching staff. They also had more pressure with the man advantage as the series went on.

     * The Lightning just can’t give the Bruins goals. Nothing can come easy. They must earn them. Mostly check. Those lazy plays by Tyler Johnson and Mikhail Sergachev could have cost them games, but for the most part the Bolts avoided the huge mistake - especially in the two overtime wins.

Lightning Needs Their Best to Move On

By Mark Pukalo

Two things became clear after the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of this unique postseason.

The Lightning may just be a team that is built for and better prepared for playoff hockey than the group that produced a historic regular season in 2018-19.

Secondly, the Bolts will have to play much better than they did against Columbus if they want to make it to the third round.

Yes, Tampa Bay disposed of John Tortorella’s pesky Jackets in five games but all four of the wins were knee-knocking one-goal triumphs - two in overtime. The positive from that is how sharp the Lightning were when they needed it the most. 

They were focused and steady with their structure in the marathon Game 1 before breaking through. The Bolts were awful after taking a 2-0 lead in Game 5 and lucky to tie it at the end of regulation, but they dominated from the start in overtime and seized the win.

Tampa Bay will have to be sharper for longer periods as they prepare to face the Big Bad Boston Bruins for the first game of a best-of-seven series. There can be few mental breakdowns. One thing that the much-hated Bears have always done best is capitalize on mistakes and get the most out of their opportunities.

The Bolts will need more secondary production as they move on and injured captain Steven Stamkos does not seem ready to go, so the power play must start to produce without a key weapon. The irrepressible Brayden Point has 10 points in bubble and Nikita Kucherov nine, but the next highest scorers have just four in eight games. 

It’s as simple as this, the Lightning must execute much of the game plan they used against Boston in the second round of the 2017-18 playoffs. They dominated 5-on-5, limited mistakes, received solid goaltending and made key plays at key times. I’ve never seen a Tampa Bay team play better in its own zone in the final four games of that series. Ryan McDonagh has never been better in a Bolts sweater.

Here’s what needs to happen - outside of referee Eric Furlatt not being assigned to the series - to beat the Bears.

* Keep the Bruins power play off the ice as much as possible, but the Lightning must be very good on the penalty kill when needed.

* Limit blind passes, hope passes, drop passes moving forward with the puck. When Boston turns you over in the middle of the ice it often ends up with an old-man rush and a goal. I can’t remember Brad Marchand not scoring on a breakaway or 2-on-1 chance. Can you?

* Keep the Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak line contained. Easier said than done, but Tampa Bay has had plenty of success against the Bruins the past few years (11 wins last 13 meetings overall).

* Get goals from secondary offensive threats. Anthony Cirelli was not very good against Columbus and, although he played well all over the ice, Ondrej Palat is without a goal in eight games. Tampa Bay can get more from Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson as well.

* Pat Maroon, Cedric Paquette and the feisty third line of Blake Coleman-Yanni Gourde-Barclay Goodrow must get under the skin of the Bruins without taking extra penalties, and keep their over-rated defense working hard to get the puck out.

* Andrei Vasilevskiy must shut the door on the Bruins at key times and show once again he is the best goalie on the planet. The Bolts should have an advantage in net against Jaroslav Halak and it must be noticed.

* Improved power play. The Lightning might not get many, but it would help if they rebounded from a sluggish 0-for-10 performance with the extra man against Columbus.

It’s not brain surgery. The Lightning just can’t give the Bruins goals. Nothing can come easy. They must earn them. You can be dominating the Bears with a 1-0 or 2-1 lead and a few unforced errors later you are trailing by a pair of goals.

Honestly, even with Stamkos out, if you take the top line of each team away I think the Lightning has a better roster. But that doesn’t really matter. You always have to outplay the Bruins to send them home.

This might end up being the toughest test for Tampa Bay on the way to a potential Stanley Cup. The Bolts must play like it, coach like it and do all the little things to get the job done.

Lightning Look to Turn the Tables

By Mark Pukalo

Here we go, again.

The Tampa Bay Lightning probably would not have faced Columbus in the playoffs if this was a normal year. But 2020 has been one strange trip. Midway through August, the Bolts will get a chance to erase some of the pain from a four-game embarrassment at the hands of the Blue Jackets last spring.

The word “sweep” won’t be mentioned again as the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs begin in an empty Scotiabank Arena Tuesday afternoon. Because these are different teams that will face off on the ice in Toronto. 

Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Duchene all signed big-money contracts to leave Columbus and were forced to exit the bubble before last weekend. The Lightning have added some depth up front that makes them more formidable physically and a pair of veteran right-hand shot defensemen who will be very important this week.

That being said, the teams both have the same strengths. The Blue Jackets play stifling defense and frustrate teams while Tampa Bay owns one of the most lethal offenses in the league. But it will not likely be as simple as that. Who dictates the play is only one small piece. This series will be won between the margins. Who wins the battles, who remains composed, who fights through the adversity much quicker will be critical.

We can’t forget about health. It was hard to make the excuse for the Lightning last year, but they were missing two of their top three defensemen to injury and another key veteran was playing at far less than 100 percent. Now, the injury status of Tampa Bay superstars Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman is in doubt.

The Bolts can win without them, though. But they must play a smart, physical and focused brand of hockey that we have seen out of them for several years. This group must perform like it did against Boston in the second round of the 2018 playoffs - structured, unwavering and with killer instinct. No temper tantrums, no defeatist looks on the bench and only confidence.

One of the major problems against Columbus last year was puck possession. After the first period of Game 1, the Bolts were loose with the frozen disk and let the Blue Jackets control the neutral zone. Tampa Bay has to be on top of it for 60 minutes.

The Lightning’s top line of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat will see an awful off of defense pair of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones while center Boone Jenner will probably be asked by coach John Tortorella what brand of chewing gum the Bolts’ top trio use. Kucherov and Point each need to have a productive series to allow the other three lines to do their work and chip in. 

If Stamkos is able to play, you would think he would slide in with Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn - a line that was very good for a stretch in mid season. You could move Tyler Johnson to the third line and push Barclay Goodrow or Yanni Gourde to the fourth. The Goodrow-Gourde-Blake Coleman line has been good, though, and TJ may have to settle for a fourth line/power play role. However, it would be nice if Coleman could find the net. He is scoreless in 12 games with the team.

While the offense has to be there, it all comes down to how the Bolts defend. Andrei Vasilevskiy was not the reason Tampa Bay lost to Columbus last season, but he was outplayed and must be way better this time around. If Hedman can’t go, they will need big and solid minutes from Ryan McDonough, Eric Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev. But two righties that were not around last April - Kevin Shattenkirk and Zach Bogosian - would be the keys to how well they can hide an absence by No. 77. Veteran Braydon Coburn should be ready to replace Hedman if needed.

The Blue Jackets thrive on causing turnovers and punishing you. It’s always important to limit miscues and keep the puck away in the postseason. But for the Lightning, it’s absolutely crucial this time around. Columbus won’t stop coming. There can be few lapses. The Blue Jackets don’t normally score a ton of goals. But they collected 19 in four games in the first round last year as the Bolts turned the puck over constantly.

Tampa Bay must also put unrelenting pressure on first-year playoff goalie Joonas Korpisalo and see if he cracks.The Fin played well against Toronto. Make him prove he can do it again.

Tortorella is at the top of his game, just getting this Columbus team to this spot after an inordinate amount of injuries during the regular season. He made all the right moves to lead Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004 and did the same last April to beat his old team.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper can go a long way to quieting his critics if he can navigate a talented team through this round - especially if Hedman and Stamkos can’t go. Cooper has won a lot of games with this core group. The moves he makes and the tone he takes could be critical in a long series. This is his chance to shine.

Whoever suits up Tuesday, the Lightning have the tools to win the series. There’s no doubt in my mind. But a healthy and battle-tested Columbus squad will force them to keep pushing. Tampa Bay must confidently dig in and move them out of the bubble.

Get ready for a war.