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As has become tradition, the Tampa Bay Lightning came through with a clutch in Game 2 of their second-round series with the New York Islanders this past Saturday. With four goals scored versus just one from New York, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper’s group took their sixth straight Game 2 (that dates back to the first round of last year’s run to the Finals). And with another long break between games, it’s time for five observations through the first two games of this highly entertaining series.
Bishop has strong response
I think the talk of Game 2 begins and ends with the redemption -- though that may be a bit of an extreme term -- for goaltender
Ben Bishop. After a nightmarish Game 1 in which he was pulled after four goals on just 13 shots against, the 6-foot-7 netminder came through with a solid 19-of-20 performance in the win. Worth noting that the one goal against, too, was off a deflection.
Overall, this was Bishop’s 12th win in 16 career games following an early hook.
More importantly, it was a strong showing against the Islanders, something that’s eluded Bishop entering this series (Bishop was ‘just OK’ even in Tampa Bay’s regular season win over New York).
With shoddy officiating, focus on special teams momentum becomes key
Let’s be honest about this series: The officiating, especially in Game 2, has been atrocious.
And for a Tampa Bay club that’s had trouble staying out of the box this season (the Lightning were one of 13 NHL teams that totaled over 300 minor penalties this season), and postseason (the Lightning have an NHL-most 47 minors and 151 minutes in penalties), that could spell trouble. It did in Game 1, anyway, as
John Tavares’ power-play goal ultimately held as New York’s game-winner.
But even if you kill the penalties against (something the Bolts have been very good at this postseason), you have to find ways to make that ‘momentum’ work into your favor. And the Lightning did that in their Game 2 victory on Saturday. The Lightning scored just 51 seconds after they successfully killed off an early penalty to Ondrej Palat. Then they scored 1:48 after they killed off another penalty.
In essence, if you’re going to take penalties, you have to find a way to kill them, and then make up for the even-strength time lost. The Lightning, at least to start this series, have done that.
Cooper can’t roll four defenseman all round
We all know that
Victor Hedman is a workhorse. And as smart as they come, too. Just look at the Bolts’ first goal, and how it all begins with Hedman’s recognition that the Lightning have significant numbers when Nick Leddy and Cal Clutterbuck collide with one another at the Tampa Bay blue line. And the Lightning can undoubtedly lean on No. 77 for major minutes without a significant drop in his play.
Can the same be said for the rest of the Lightning defense corps?
With
Matt Carle out of action for Game 2, the Lightning went to a seven defensemen rotation that gave big minutes to Hedman (27:35), Andrej Sustr (22:25), Braydon Coburn (19:52), and Jason Garrison (19:43). But the rest of the Tampa Bay defense -- Slater Koekkoek, Nikita Nesterov, and Matt Taormina -- skated in significantly limited roles. While Nesterov was the most-utilized of the three, with a cool 18 shifts in total (six in each period), Taormina played a total of six shifts, while Koekkoek finished his night with over six minutes of time-on-ice thanks to a six-shift third period.
This becomes an entirely moot point if and when the Lightning get
Anton Stralman back in their lineup at some point this round. But if the Bolts are dealt another injury to their back-end -- something that very well could happen with overexposure for certain players -- one of those three limited-use d-men will have to step up into a regular role. Especially when the benefit of last change eludes the Lightning as the series shift to NY’s Barclays Center for Games 3, 4, and (most likely), 6.
But the seven defensemen system might actually work best in this series
It took Cooper a game, but I really think he may have found the perfect groupings to best go against the Isles. With seven defensemen in the mix, and with Brian Boyle in the middle of a grind-you-down third line with Cedric Paquette and Callahan on the wing, forwards
Jonathan Marchessault and
Vladdy Namestnikov have become the spare parts as the Lightning’s No. 10 and 11 forwards.
I actually don’t necessarily mind this rotation for the Lightning, either. While I think Namestnikov has consistently made the (successful) push for more minutes all year long, and that Marchessault is best suited as a top-six fill-in, giving these guys minutes and plugging either Alex Killorn or Palat in as their winger every other shift can really open their offensive game up while also allowing Cooper to put forth a stronger third line (against the vaunted New York fourth line) in Paquette-Boyle-Callahan.
And there’s also my belief that Namestnikov is a solid backup option if Valtteri Filppula is shifted out of a No. 2 center role and more of his traditional checking role. (In fact, I’ve wanted to
somehow see more of a Drouin-Namestnikov combination). The same can be said of Marchessault if the Lightning lose a top-six forward to illness or injury and need a speedy plug for a quick game or two.
Though I am curious to see if Cooper mixes it up as the series shifts to Brooklyn.
This series is really weird
OK, lastly, let me get something off my chest: This series is weird. (No, I’m not just saying that ‘cause Games 1 and 2 came on nights where I had prior commitments.) But they played Wednesday night. Then didn’t play again until Saturday afternoon. Game 3 is not until Tuesday night. That’s just three games in seven days. While a battered team like the Bolts -- without four of their regulars now -- will often take the rest, it’s also hard to get out of that rhythm of playing every other day once you’re there.
I think that’s a huge reason why you saw a slow start from the Lightning in Game 1, and then a slow start from the Islanders in Game 2. The Stanley Cup Playoffs can be a nightmarish grind on your body and mind, but once you’re in it, you’re in it, and I think these stops and starts can speak to that.
Despite the long pauses, though, you’re beginning to see some hate generated between these two teams, which will certainly continue on into Game 3, even with
another three-day break.
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
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