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?