Hockey is a zero-sum game. There is value in a team demonstrating they can go into an opponent’s barn and pummel them without mercy. Nevertheless, the second period of last night was unique; the Lightning slung 33 shots on goal—27 of which were at 5v5—in a period that looked as uneven as the USA vs. Trinidad and Tobago game in Mighty Ducks 2. It was the most shots accrued in the NHL in one period since shots by period became an official statistic. It was remarkable that the Blackhawks held the Lightning to four goals through two periods, and only outstanding goaltending by Cam Ward prevented the score from ballooning to 9-1 or 10-1. Everyone on the Lightning played well. Tampa Bay was the faster team to loose pucks, and inflicted a ravenous cycle on a helpless Blackhawks squad. The outside lane was always open, and too often there was little resistance when the Lightning puck-carrier cut to the inside. Tampa Bay recorded the most shot attempts and Scoring Chances of any game this season, and one reason was that instead of hesitating and looking for the perfect pass, the Lightning shot from all angles and stopped forcing east-west passes. Even those high numbers understate the dominance of the Lightning’s first two periods, which was when they tallied most of those shot attempts and chances.
Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli led the Lightning in 5v5 Scoring Chances with 7 each, and their propensity to shoot from anywhere led to them posting ugly goals. On Cirelli’s goal, he kept jamming away until he found pay dirt. Point did not kick the puck out despite being at an awkward angle to swat in the goal.
Tampa Bay had the speed to create rush chances at will. They consistently found room transporting the puck and were able to manufacture mini odd-man opportunities on the cycle and in transition. On Yanni Gourde’s power-play goal, Point’s poise to shepherd the puck down low despite being under pressure and find the option with Ondrej Palat was magnificent. The inability of the Blackhawks to keep pace with the Lightning puck-carriers or to strip them of possession opened up passing lanes.
It was the best passing game the Lightning have had all season. There were nice saucer passes, like Palat’s to Tyler Johnson that sprung Johnson’s breakaway. There was the stretch pass, like Victor Hedman finding Nikita Kucherov, who slipped behind the Blackhawks defense for the first goal. There were area passes, no-look passes (like the superb Gourde to Point attempt), shot-passes, and pocket passes. It is hard to envision the forecheck being played better, and partially that is because the F1 was a buzzsaw. If the F1 did not win the race, he would force a turnover. When the F1 claimed possession, there was always a Lightning forward cutting to the net ready to whip a shot on goal.
The Lightning dominated along the walls. The F2 sealed the boards nicely, and the strong-side defenseman unapologetically pinched at every opportunity. And the vise was tightened in the neutral zone, where the Lighting’s defensemen pounced on lazy passes and stepped up to snatch away possession. Tampa Bay’s defensemen were aggressive and rarely penalized for it.
The Blackhawks are slower and less talented than the Lightning. That much is clear. I am not sure if there’s a team in the NHL that has less to offer than Chicago in terms of young, under-25 talent. Against the other 29 teams, the Lightning’s skaters won’t be able to carry and pass the puck with impunity through the neutral and offensive zone or have the puck readily surrendered to them at the mere suggestion of pressure. But that doesn’t take away from the scale of the beat down.
The Lightning have four lines that can score, and suddenly their defense is looking much less problematic. Mikhail Sergachev has strung together multiple good games. Braydon Coburn has far surpassed expectations this season. And Dan Girardi is not sabotaging the team’s success. Partly, this is due to the Lightning identity, and how they need all 18 players to embrace it. Last night, they bear-hugged their aspirational self: Kill with speed, shoot at every opportunity, and use your defensemen’s aggression as a launch pad.