The Tampa Bay Lightning will take to the ice tonight at Amalie Arena for a matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings. This is the first of two meetings between the two franchises this season.
Facing the defending champs is always a unique and special challenge, but it’s worth noting that the Kings have been uncharacteristically weak this season, and specifically over the last few weeks. In their last ten games, Los Angeles has compiled a rather pedestrian record of 2-5-3; that includes three straight regulation losses heading into tonight. Those poor results have pushed the Kings way down the standings, as they now sit ahead of only the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers in the West.
Adding to the Kings’ troubles tonight is the fact that Tampa has been nearly unbeatable on home ice this season. With a record of 21-4-1 at Amalie, the Bolts have certainly made the most of their home ice advantage. That record includes a current franchise record 10-game win streak; the team will look for its 11th straight tonight.
Despite their struggles, the Kings still lead the league in Corsi-for percentage at five-on-five per Puckalytics; they sit 0.1% ahead of the second place Lightning. In that respect, tonight’s matchup will be one between heavyweights. Still, and as mentioned, the Kings simply haven’t been able to translate that monumental possession advantage into points in the standings, whereas the Lightning have. Goal scoring has been an issue for them, and Jonathan Quick has been incredibly average. It’s an unfortunate combination.
With all that said, it’s still incredibly important that the Bolts look at tonight’s game as a game against one of the elite teams in hockey. The Kings have proven over the last few seasons that they can beat any team on any given night; no team gets to the top of the hockey world twice in three years without being able to do that. The Lightning must be wary. Even as the Kings struggle through this season, they are still what the Bolts want to become moving forward: a consistently great team with a shot to win the Stanley Cup.
--
Before signing off, I just want to take a quick moment to address Eklund’s latest rumor. For those of you who missed it, Eklund says that the Lightning are making a “BIG play… for Toronto’s Cody Franson.
With long-term injuries currently plaguing the team’s blue line, this makes a lot of sense. Both Radko Gudas and Matt Carle are out for the foreseeable future, while Jason Garrison will definitely miss tonight’s game and is questionable for tomorrow. The Lightning were likely in need of some defensive help even before these ailments, so the current injury situation only highlights that need.
Franson, for his part, would be a good fit with the Lightning. He’s a big, right-handed shot defenseman who has shown the ability to put up points; in addition, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season, which should reduce the cost of acquisition should Steve Yzerman choose to pull the trigger. Further, he is one of the better possession players on a Toronto team that is truly dismal. There’s a lot to like about what Franson could bring to Tampa Bay.
The issue for Yzerman and his management team is that there will probably be a bidding war for Franson’s services. Right-shot defensemen are a hot commodity in today’s NHL, with teams like the Detroit Red Wings (among others) in desperate need of one or more. Some of the cost that might be saved as a result of Franson’s pending-UFA status is likely added back as a result of league-wide interest. It creates a tough situation for Yzerman, as his modus operandi doesn’t generally include flipping good assets for rentals. He might have to do that this year.
Considering the fact that Franson’s name has been linked to the Lightning for a little over a year now, this rumor from Eklund is certainly one to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches. Making this even more interesting is the fact that Toronto GM Dave Nonis is reportedly scheduled to take in the Lightning/Kings game at Amalie tonight. Where there's smoke, there's almost certainly fire.
I would be shocked if Steve Yzerman didn’t address his team’s need for help on defense; the question now is whether or not Franson is the guy he ultimately acquires. If the asking price gets out of hand, it might be prudent for Yzerman to turn his attention to a guy like Edmonton's Jeff Petry.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter.