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It felt like a true Throwback Tuesday for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their 4-0 stomping of the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. For the first time all year, the Lightning had key contributions from so many of the players that led them to the Stanley Cup Final last year, while Ben Bishop stopped every single shot thrown his way en route to a season-high matching third win in a row.
Ondrej Palat opened up the scoring for Tampa with his first goal since Oct. 23 at the 10:29 mark of the first period on a perfectly banged home rebound off a Victor Hedman shot on goal.
The Bolts pushed that edge to 3-0 with two goals in 3:37 from Steven Stamkos in the second period, as No. 91 continued to simply dominate possession like he did from the start of the game.
Tampa Bay pushed their lead to four in the third period, this time from a Tyler Johnson deflection (his fifth goal of the season), in what was his first goal since Nov. 25.
To put the rarity of these contributions into context, it was the first time that Johnson and Palat, two thirds of the beloved Triplets line (though they’re not presently together) have scored a goal in the same game this season. It’s actually the first time they’ve done it, too, since Game 3 of their seven-game Eastern Conference Final war against the New York Rangers last spring (May 20, ‘15).
And don’t look now, but the Lightning look .. well.. back. This was Tampa’s third win in a row, they straight-up obliterated the Avalanche from a possession standpoint, and once again, Bishop stood tall in net for yet another victory. With the win, the Bolts are back in the playoffs (if the season ended today), and you’re beginning to see the positives and the rewards for the frustration and ‘keep plugging’ attitude that head coach Jon Cooper has tried to preach again and again throughout their struggles.
Hedman was an instrumental figure in this game when it came to creating offense with either his shot or smart plays beginning in his own end. In fact, his one noticeable hiccup in this one came with the game well in hand and a failed clear that kept the MacKinnon line pouring the pressure on for some sustained zone time, which against a line of that caliber is almost to be expected once in a game.
Great games from Hedman, Johnson, Palat, and Stamkos? What a terrifying thought if you’re among the teams jostling with the Bolts for the final few playoff spots in the East. And that’s what makes the Bolts dangerous from here on out. There’s desperation in their game, they’re finding ways to combat the roadblocks (and actually, finally prevail), and Bishop has remained their MVP.
Now, it’s back to Amalie Arena, where the Bolts will look to throw it back to last year in another way, with consistently dominant performances in their own building. If that returns, look out.
Kopitar deal gives slight idea to Stamkos talks
The Los Angeles Kings and all-world centerman Anze Kopitar have finalized an eight-year extension worth $80 million. Or, in other words, a $10 million per year contract.
Not that this figure should come as a shock to anybody, but this is an early benchmark for what to expect with Stamkos and the Bolts. To keep No. 91 in town and donning the ‘C’ on a Tampa sweater, it will take a figure close to this, give or take half a million (at the very best, I’d guess).
Will the Lightning do it? That remains the $10 million question.
In a perfect world, general manager Steve Yzerman understands that Stamkos is an irreplaceable talent and that he has to pay the Markham, Ont. native as such. But if the team remains stuck with albatross contracts like Ryan Callahan and Matt Carle, the reality then becomes that Yzerman may not have enough money in the bank to keep Stamkos without sacrificing one of Johnson, Palat, or Nikita Kucherov. And that’s without factoring the big time pay raise that’ll come Hedman’s way soon.
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.