Last night’s 4-3 shootout victory illuminates the interconnectedness between forwards and defensemen for the Lightning. For a team that possesses the leading scorer in the NHL and scores the most goals per game, the offense does not truly hum unless it is propelled by its defense. At 5v5, Victor Hedman led the Lightning in shot attempts and was prominent in the scoring. But defensive pair Anton Stralman and Mikhail Sergachev were also effective facilitators, whether that be on the cycle or neutral-zone regroups. It was an impressive performance, and it was Tampa Bay’s defensive group that helped scramble the Ottawa Senators’ defensive structure.
As Lightning fans remember, Guy Boucher, a former coach of the Bolts and now the head coach of the Senators, demands a neutral zone formation that ensnares audacious puck-handlers. He forces opponents to dump the puck in, and trusts the Senators’ speed and defensemen to limit forecheck opportunities. Unfortunately for Ottawa, the Bolts were able to filch the puck and start the cycle. And when the puck left the zone, the Lightning regrouped swiftly. Hedman and Nikita Kucherov were spectacular running give-and-go’s, accounting for the first and third goals.
Hedman and Kucherov both understand how to bend a defense. They are gifted at lugging the puck through traffic with irritating defenders swatting at them, and by staving them off, can create room for each other. Their skills were evident in Tyler Johnson’s goal in the second period, revealing the helplessness of opponents to mitigate two highly skilled individuals.
After a failed attempt from the top of the home-plate area on the initial entry, Kucherov curled up the boards, received the puck, and darted toward the middle of the slot, puck in tow. Hedman, being an offensively savvy defenseman, identified an opportunity as he realized Ottawa’s Mark Stone had sagged far too low and, if Hedman came over the top while Kucherov swept across the middle slot, he could seize the space that opened up where Kucherov was just leaving. While this opportunity did not materialize in a goal, the failed scoring chance is important because of its symmetry with a goal scored less than 30 seconds later and because of the penalty Alexander Killorn drew in the corner.
The delayed penalty on Killorn went into effect as Johnson jumped onto the ice and settled at the point. Hedman ran a give-and-go with Johnson, and Hedman traced an arc across the offensive zone, effectively tugging the defense below the circles. Of course, Kucherov watched this from the weeds located along the half-wall, and moved along the top of the circle to receive the puck as Hedman pushed the Ottawa players back. Kucherov recognized the favorable situation that had unfolded – Hedman drew the attention and created misdirection, and Johnson had now joined Killorn for a nice double-screen in front of Senators’ goaltender Craig Anderson. Kucherov shot into the screen, the puck glanced off Johnson, and the Lightning scored.
In the third period, Kucherov and Hedman teamed up for another goal after Hedman passed the puck to Kucherov to lead the quick re-entry into the offensive zone. Kucherov motored past Fredrik Claesson and threaded a pass to the far post to a cutting Hedman. The initial shot by Hedman was saved, but Vladislav Namestikov stuffed in the rebound.
After a torpid effort in Las Vegas, the Lightning put forth an effort that reminded the league why they have the best record and should be feared. At 5v5, they had 43 chances to the Senators’ 9! They had 14 High Danger Chances to the Senators’ 5. Look at the Heatmap for where the Lightning shots came at 5v5 and there is a burning orange orb indicating high volume in the middle slot.
The Lightning needed a shootout to win, so there were lapses. The Lightning lost track of off-the-puck Senators players racing toward the net. Dan Girardi and Jake Dotchin had some bad turnovers. But mistakes happen, and for the most part opposing scoring opportunities were minimized. Tampa Bay’s success depends on the less mobile defenders not sabotaging the offense and the playmaking ones fueling it.
The Lightning dominated stretches of play against the Eastern Conference finalists from last season. Tampa Bay engineered offense off the rush and forecheck. Stamkos ran curls and pushed the defense back on entries; he received one-timer chances. The third line created a goal off the counter attack. The Lightning’s creative defensemen (Hedman, Stralman, and Sergachev) were empowered and influential.
What was so exciting about Thursday's game was that it demonstrated the symbiosis between the Lightning’s forwards and defensemen. Against a talented Ottawa squad, Tampa Bay showed they control the levers of power, and that the pace of the game and direction of the puck can move at their whim.