Through 23 games this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have managed to compile a very good 14-8-1 record. Buoyed by offensive contributions from up and down the lineup, decent team defense, and stellar goaltending, the Bolts find themselves sitting comfortably in the playoff picture. With that in mind, it’s time for the first 2013-14 Tampa Bay Lightning quarterly report card here at Hockey Buzz.
Forwards
Valtteri Filppula – A+ Some people questioned Steve Yzerman’s logic when he elected to sign Filppula to a five year, $25MM contract back in July. Those people have since gone silent. Since joining the Lightning, Filppula has been phenomenal. With 9 goals and 16 points through 23 games, the Finnish forward sits third on the team in scoring. He has also been a zone entry wizard, faceoff guru, and defensive specialist for a team that has struggled in those areas over the last couple years.
Steven Stamkos – A+ Prior to breaking his tibia in Boston, Stamkos had notched 14 goals and 23 points in 17 games played. That alone is enough to warrant his A+ grade. In addition to all the offense, Stamkos has truly evolved into a complete player. He brings physicality, defensive awareness, and solid play in all three zones on a nightly basis. The team will certainly miss his presence over the next few months.
Alex Killorn – A The strength of Tampa’s development system is perhaps best exemplified by AK17. Drafted in the third round back in 2007, Killorn is now a contributing top-six forward on one of the top teams in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference. With 15 points through 23 games, he is proving himself as a dangerous offensive threat. The only thing Jon Cooper might want to see out of the 24-year-old is more consistency. He seems to score his points in bunches.
Tyler Johnson – A For a third line center in his rookie season, the little engine that could has been mighty impressive. Having notched 11 points in 23 games, Johnson has established himself as a reliable, two-way forward who can skate with the best. The guy is good at the hockey.
Martin St. Louis – B+ It’s hard to dish out a less than perfect grade for a guy who is almost a lock to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day, but it’s hard not to want more from Marty. Having just played his 1000th career game, the wily veteran has been through a lot in his career. With Stamkos out, it’s clear that he is struggling to adjust to life without his go-to guy. 21 points in 23 games is hardly anything to scoff at, but the Lightning need Marty to step up in a big way if they are going to survive this stretch without 91.
Ondrej Palat – B While his offensive totals are rather underwhelming (6 points in 23 gamea), Palat has been very, very good for the Lightning this year. Young players often struggle to match up against seasoned NHL pros, but Palat has fit into the league seamlessly. He wins puck battles, he is strong on the forecheck, and he creates opportunities with regularity. From a third line guy, it’s hard to ask for much more. The offensive production will come in time.
BJ Crombeen – B When grading players, it’s important to remember their respective roles. BJ Crombeen isn’t on the Lightning’s roster to score goals or generate offense; he’s on the Lightning’s roster to kill penalties and bring energy. It’s hard to argue that he hasn’t done that this year. He fights when necessary, which brings a dose of edge to an otherwise unintimidating lineup.
Nate Thompson – B Thompson is one of those heart and soul guys who gives his all on every shift. Playing the majority of his minutes on the fourth line, he has been reasonably responsible in all three zones while doing an effective job. His offensive production is down this year, but that can largely be explained by the fact that he has been pushed down the lineup by ‘Tampacuse’ players.
Richard Panik – C After a disastrous start to the season, Panik’s game is finally starting to come around. The young winger has been given a lot of leeway and opportunity this season, but he has yet to bring the same consistency that his linemates, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, have brought to the table. Panik has all the tools to be a terrifying force for opposing teams. Once he adjusts to life in the National Hockey League, look out.
Teddy Purcell – C- Purcell got off to a great start this season, but has since gone stone cold. Plagued by over-pass-itis, the big forward has only managed to tally four points in his last 17 games. For a guy who the Lightning count on during key situations, that simply isn’t good enough.
Ryan Malone – D You won’t find many people who don’t believe that Bugsy’s best days are behind him. Relegated to the Lightning’s fourth line this season, Malone just can’t seem to keep up with the game at even strength. Still effective on the power-play, he has managed to forge himself a bit of a niche role with the team. In addition, he remains a quality character guy in the locker-room. With all that said, don’t be shocked if the Lightning don’t choose to re-sign him when the time comes.
Brett Connolly – D A victim of circumstance, Connolly really wasn’t given a shot to succeed while he was up with the Lightning. As mentioned in my last blog, he found himself either playing out of position or on the fourth line. For a young player looking to build confidence, that sort of situation probably didn’t help. That being said, the Lightning need more out of Connolly. He can be much, much better.
Pierre-Cedric Labrie – D- He had a decent start to the season, but PC Labrie has since fallen off the tracks. What happened?
Defensemen
Andrej Sustr – A Fantastic. That’s really all that needs to be said about the second year pro. While many expected that he would spend this season in Syracuse, Sustr has established himself as one of the Bolts’ most reliable young players. He does everything well. Once he bulks up a bit, opposition teams won’t be able to handle him.
Victor Hedman – A- One of the most criminally underrated defenders in the game today, Hedman has done a little bit of everything for the Bolts this year. His smooth skating, size, and awareness at both ends of the rink have combined to make him a legitimate top-pairing defenseman. With 11 points through 23 games this season, Hedman is starting to show the offensive flare that made him such a star in the KHL during the lockout.
Matt Carle – A- After an underwhelming second debut with the Lightning in 2013, Carle has rebounded in a big way. This blogger would argue that nobody on the roster benefited more from the coaching change than Carle. A natural puck-mover, he is a great fit with Radko Gudas on the Lightning’s second pairing.
Sami Salo – B+ Salo has, once again, looked very good on a pairing with Victor Hedman. Even as he slows down with age, Salo continues to prove his shutdown abilities by going up against some of the league’s most potent offensive forces on a nightly basis.
Radko Gudas – B Lightning fans have witnessed the good Radko Gudas and the bad Radko Gudas this season. When on his game, he is a defensively sound force to be reckoned with. His physical style has turned him into one of the more entertaining players to watch on the Lightning roster. With that said, he can get a little bit reckless at times. When he gets that sorted out, he’ll be simply dominant.
Eric Brewer – B- Once a top pairing guy under Guy Boucher, Brewer now finds himself playing on the Lightning’s third pairing with a rotating partner. That change has proven to be more than good for the veteran defender. He is playing some of the best hockey that he’s played in years. Limited minutes have helped turn his game around.
Mark Barberio – C- An adventure in his own zone at times, Barberio still looks very raw. After making the Lightning out of training camp, he has only seen action in ten games. It’s still very early in his career, but we haven’t seen the dynamic offensive flare that made him such a legend in the AHL. The tools are there, but it will take some time to turn Barberio into an everyday defenseman in the NHL.
Goaltenders
Ben Bishop – A+ An early contender to play for Team USA at the Olympics, Bishop has done everything and more for the Lightning. Currently holding a 2.20 goals-against average and a 0.926 save percentage to go along with 13 wins, Bishop is the only reason the Lightning have won so many games this year. Is anyone still upset that the Bolts dealt Cory Conacher for this guy?
Anders Lindback – C While he hasn’t looked horrible, the fact is that Lindback hasn’t gotten the job done for the Bolts this year; his 1-5-0 record demonstrates that pretty clearly. With that said, it seems that the Lightning’s skaters often lay an egg whenever Lindback is in goal. Placing the blame solely on him for that record would be a foolish mistake.
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Well, there you have my first report card for this season. This list only includes players that have suited up for 10+ games with the Lightning so far. You’ll notice that I don’t have any “F… grades listed. That’s because I don’t think it’s fair to call anyone a failure with so much time left on the schedule. Let me know which grades you agree with or disagree with in the comments section.
As always, thanks for reading!