Tampa Bay Lightning Look For Redemption In Montreal

The Tampa Bay Lightning head back into the Bell Centre to face the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 in the hopes of closing out the series and moving on to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had a prime opportunity in front of them on Thursday night that if played properly could have allowed them to complete a post season sweep of the Montreal Canadiens and close out this series early. Unfortunately, that was simply not meant to be.

Now, the Tampa Bay Lightning must put this disappointing loss behind them and focus on the task at hand, bringing the electricity to the Bell Centre tonight, charging out onto the ice, and doing the thing the Lightning do best; score goals and win games.

If they are going to be able to accomplish this feat, there is one thing that they will have to accomplish; they will have to play 100% better than they did in Game 4. The good news is that not only do the fans know it, but the players and coaches know it as well.

You could tell simply by the looks on their faces that the Lightning was not pleased with their effort, or the result, in Game 4. Hopefully, the Lightning will be able to focus on the task at hand, put the loss behind them and get the job done, despite being in one of the toughest buildings in the National Hockey League to play in.

Getting the job done is going to be something that is much easier said than done. Much like in every game before it, there are certain keys to the game that the Lightning will need to accomplish in order for them to come out on top. While they may have accomplished some of those in Game 4, there are still plenty that need work.

Here’s a look at a few of the keys the Tampa Bay Lightning will have to accomplish if they want to shut down the Montreal Canadiens tonight on their home ice and secure the Lightning’s place in the Eastern Conference Finals..

Be Consistent
Be More Aggressive
Don’t Overpass the Puck
Be Offensively Defensive

Now that we have our topics in hand, let’s take a look at each of them individually so we can get a clearer view of what the Tampa Bay Lightning has in front of them tonight in Montreal.

Be Consistent

There are no words in the English dictionary that accurately describe the importance of this particular topic. Consistency has been one of the Lightning’s biggest pitfalls this season.

They either start out with a bang but suddenly fall apart in the second period or they come out of the gate lackadaisical and have to play catch up in the second and third periods. In the post season there is no room for excuses, you either find a way to get the job done, or you find your way to the exit. The easiest way to get the job done is to hit the ice, do what you do best, and be consistent at it.

There have been points in the post season where the Tampa Bay Lightning seemed to have found their groove and settled in to a more consistent game, but then things like Game 4 come along and a rather large hole is blown in their plan. This is not to say that even the most legendary of teams don’t have their bad days, but if it is allowed to become a pattern then we have a much bigger issue on our hands.

Be More Aggressive

If there was ever a time that we needed to see more of the Game 2 version of the Tampa Bay Lightning, that time is tonight at the Bell Centre. In Game 2, the Lightning were being aggressive with the puck, charging the net, digging for rebounds, and surprising to everyone here in the Bolts Nation, capitalizing on the Power Play.

This…right here…is what we need from the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price is a top tier goaltender who spent most of the regular season at the top of the National Hockey League in all manners goaltending. Price didn’t get there by settle in on his heels and letting pucks past him.

On the other hand, even the most seasoned netminders cannot be everywhere at the same time. If the Lightning continue to charge the net, dig for rebounds, and shoot at many different spots on the net. Unless Price magically grows 4 new arms in the middle of the game, one of them is bound to go in.

Don’t Overpass the Puck

Much like we said in the preview for Game 4, this one is pretty self-explanatory. This particular issue has been the bane of the Lightning’s existence for quite some time now.

We cannot count the amount of times that the Lightning has passed the puck one too many times in front of their own net causing a costly turnover that has resulted in an opposing team’s goal. On the flip side, the same thing can be said about overpassing in the offensive zone as well.

There has been plenty of times this season when the Tampa Bay Lightning has had the perfect setup for a potential goal, but one pass too many has resulted in a turnover that brings the action to the other side of the ice.

The Lightning needs to get back to basics and dig deep for their shots. I have always, and will always continue to be, a proponent of quality over quantity, but the simple fact of the matter is that you fail to score on 100% of the shots you don’t take. In other words, 19 shots on goal per game simply will not get the job done.

Be Offensively Defensive

The Tampa Bay Lightning has had a bad habit lately of simply allowing their opponents to come strolling through the neutral zone into the Lightning zone with little to no opposition.

Considering that we are facing a team like the Montreal Canadiens that are currently fighting for their lives in the post season and will be looking for each and every opportunity to deal another blow to the Lightning, this is not exactly the best thing the Lightning offense should do.

If the Lightning defense could come down a little harder in the neutral zone, take control of the puck, and put some offensive pressure on the Canadiens, the Lightning will find themselves in a pretty good position.

Victor Hedman has done a pretty good job of that thus far in the post season. Hedman leads all Lightning defenseman in points with 1 goal and 5 assists for a total of 6 points along with a plus-6 rating. If we could get at least half of the Lightning defensemen to accomplish as much as Hedman, we would be golden.

We all know that the Tampa Bay Lightning has what it takes to get the job done. They did it throughout the entirety of the regular season and up until Game 4 have continued on the same path. The only thing they will need to do is put the loss behind them, focus their efforts, and do what they do best; win games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning may be thousands of miles away in the great, white, North, but they will still need their Thunder. Whether you will be watching the game from the official watch party at the Channelside Bay Plaza, from your favorite sports bar, or from the comfort of your own home, we call on each and every one of you to scream loud and proud for our Boys in Blue. Are you ready to Be The Thunder?

If you’re still looking for a way to catch all of tonight’s action between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens, here is a look at all the information you’ll need to make sure you catch every second of the action.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: The Re-Emergence of the Lightning Power Play

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