Tampa Bay Lightning D Andrej Sustr Lights Up Brendan Smith (Video)

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr unleashes hell on Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith in the second period of the Lightning Home Opener.

The Tampa Bay Lightning may have started off the 2016-17 Home Opener with a little bit of rink rust; however, as the game progressed Lightning fans finally got to see the Lightning team we have come to know and love over the course of the last few seasons.

After starting off the game 2-0 in the first period thanks to two consecutive goals from Detroit Red Wings forward Thomas Vanek, the Lightning would rally back to defeat their Atlantic Division rivals 6-4.

What’s truly amazing about last night’s encounter is the fact fans witnessed certain members of the Lightning step up in ways they have never seen before. One of those aforementioned players was Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr.

Tampa Bay Lightning

At six-foot, seven-inches tall, Andrej Sustr is the tallest player on the ice for the Tampa Bay Lightning other than Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop between the pipes. Thanks to his extraordinarily large frame, the 25-year-old Lightning defenseman has to have special permission from the NHL to have a stick longer than the 63 inches in length currently allowed by the league.

Thanks to his extraordinarily large frame, the 25-year-old Lightning defenseman has to have special permission from the NHL to have a stick longer than the 63 inches in length currently allowed by the league.

When you have a player this size, most would expect for said player to make a huge impact on the ice. Unfortunately, up until now, this is something Tampa Bay Lightning fans have seen on a rare basis. Well, things seemed to change for the better on Thursday night.

The Lightning found themselves down 3-2 late in the second period, and the Detroit Red Wings decided it was time to shake things up a little and go on the offensive against the Bolts. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, the Lightning were ready for just such an occasion.

It all started off in front of Petr Mrazek in the Red Wings net. Red Wings forward Steve Ott decided he was going to attempt to take advantage of Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin. Thankfully, Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn was quick to shut that mess down quickly.

Elsewhere on the ice, Andrej Sustr would find himself tangled up with Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith. Tampa Bay Lightning fans were pleasantly surprised when they witnessed Sustr absolutely light up Smith near the boards.

(via HockeyFights.com)

There is only one question we have after watching this fight. Who in the heck is this and what have they done with Andrej Sustr? Maybe more so, where has this version of Andrej Sustr over the course of the last three seasons?

In the beginning, it looked as if this scuffle was pretty evenly matched. All of a sudden, Sustr unleashes his fury and lands quite a few solid hits on Smith. Once the referees were able to get a hold of the situation, both players would be headed to the sin bin for fighting.

We think it’s pretty safe to say Andrej Sustr came out on the winning end of that fight. In fact, 61.3 percent of visitors who have cast their vote on HockeyFights.com would tend to agree with that assertion.

While we may never know just how deep Andrej Sustr had to dig to muster up that kind of intensity, we here at Bolts By The Bay certainly hope he continues to go to that place throughout the course of the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning are poised for a fantastic season, and they will need that kind of grit as the season forges on.

Next: Steven Stamkos: ‘The Team Is Back Together’

The Tampa Bay Lightning got off to a good start with their 6-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Unfortunately, the Bolts don’t have time to sit back and celebrate their victory. Tomorrow night, the Lightning charge back into the Amalie Arena to take on the New Jersey Devils. Hopefully, we’ll see a similar result to last night.