Tampa Bay Lightning Need A Win in Game 6

The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed back home to the Amalie Arena in Tampa for Game 6 in the hopes of finally closing out the series.

The Tampa Bay Lightning has a string of two incredibly frustrating losses in their rearview mirror, but tonight the Lightning will need to look past the string of losses and bring the hammer down if they hope to close out this series once and for all and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Unfortunately, the task at hand will be one of those that will be easier said than done. As most of you know by now, Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan will be out tonight against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 due to having an emergency appendectomy last night at Tampa General Hospital.

While it is uncertain who will be taking the ice in Callahan’s place tonight, all indications are pointing to the recently recalled Jonathan Marchessault. It was widely believed that Jonathan Drouin would be the name called in Callahan’s absence, but that seems to be looking less and less likely; although we wouldn’t rule the option out just yet. Tampa Bay Lightning Beat Writer Bryan Burns stated that this will be a game time decision.

Tonight’s game is essentially a do or die moment for the Tampa Bay Lightning. While we are not facing elimination tonight, this is still a very important game that has many implications hidden inside.

If the Lightning manage to lose a third game in a row for the first time this season, the momentum will fully swing in the direction of the Montreal Canadiens, and with the series headed back to the Bell Centre, this is most definitely not a good thing.

As with every game, there are quite a few things that need to happen in order for the Tampa Bay Lightning to come out on top tonight in front of the home town crowd. Here’s a look at our keys to tonight’s game.

Strike First
Stay Angry
Stay Out of the Penalty Box
Don’t Overpass The Puck
Be Consistent

Now, while we wait for all the action to kick off tonight, let’s take a look at each one of our keys in a little more depth and see what the Lightning truly have in store for them tonight.

Strike First

While not everyone here in the Bolts Nation relies as heavily on stats as some, there are some things that you simply cannot deny. One of those things is just how lethal the Tampa Bay Lightning are when they draw first blood in a game.

So far during the post season, the Tampa Bay Lightning leads the National Hockey League with a record of 5-0-0 when they are the first to strike. If this doesn’t illustrate the importance of the Lightning come out of the gate with a fiery passion that cannot be contained, we don’t know what will.

The Lightning need to find that spark that ignites their souls and hit that ice with all the fury and frustration they have been holding in for the last two games and unleash it on the ice and draw first blood tonight. There is no two ways about it.

Stay Angry

It is quite apparent that our Boys in Blue, including Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper, are incredibly frustrated and borderline angry due to the team’s lackluster performance in the last couple of games the Lightning has played in this series.

If you were one of the people at practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon the other day, you saw a team that was angry and is ready to bring that anger to the ice. How could you tell? Well, we have a good feeling some of the expletives you heard coming from the ice pretty well gave that one away.

Well…that and there was a pain of glass that met its untimely end after an errant shot shattered the glass.

Anger is a double-edged sword. For some people, it can throw them completely off of their game. For others, it can create a focus never known before and be the spark that ignites the fire that drives you to be the best you that can possibly be.

Hopefully, the Lightning will find the latter to be true and bring this series to a close once and for all.

Stay Out of the Penalty Box

We can scream this until we are purple in the face, but somehow the Lightning still manages to fall face first into the penalty traps set out for them by the Montreal Canadiens. The team knows how the Canadiens play; especially when their backs are against the wall. This should not be an issue.

Alas, it is still very much an issue. Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning did in Game 2 of the series, the Montreal Canadiens are learning to capitalize while they are on the Power Play. This means that the Lightning need to stop handing them opportunities on a silver platter.

Again, we concede that there are penalties that are worth taking, but you have to know the difference.

The best course of action is for the Lightning to stay out of the penalty box as much as possible. Unfortunately, that is not always the easiest thing in the world to do with referees in the National Hockey League today.

Don’t Overpass The Puck

This is one of those keys that just seem to make its way on to the list every single time; especially over the course of the last two games in the series. The Tampa Bay Lightning has re-acquired an incredibly bad habit of passing the puck one too many times, resulting in horrific turnovers.

Unfortunately, these are not the kind of turnovers you bake in an oven, but the ones that allow your opponents fresh opportunities in finding the back of the net.

This all comes down to puck control and knowing when to take the shot. Hopefully, this is something that the Lightning has concentrated on in the time they’ve had in between games. If not, the Lightning may find themselves in trouble tonight.

Be Consistent

As usual, this is probably the most important of all the keys to tonight’s game. In addition to the Lightning coming out of the gate like a shot, the Bolts need to be consistent through all 60 minutes of tonight’s game.

If they come out like a shot and loosen the reins in the second period they will wind up chasing the Canadiens in the third, which is not somewhere we want to be. The same can be said if we come out of the tunnel with a lackluster effort.

Allow us to break it down for you. The Tampa Bay Lightning need to come out of the tunnel and hit the ice with the spark inside of their souls burning bright and really bring it to the Montreal Canadiens. Striking first blood would give the Bolts the momentum they need to pull ahead early.

Staying out of the penalty box is a must for preventing the Canadiens the opportunity to stage an assault with the man advantage. Also, resisting the urge to make that one last pass will minimize the opportunity for the Habs to come in and force a turnover which may or may not result in a goal.

Being consistent….well, that sort of speaks for itself.

We all know that the Tampa Bay Lightning has what it takes to get the job done. If they didn’t then we wouldn’t be where we are right now; in the second round of the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Playoffs. All the Lightning need to do is focus on what they want and concentrate on the task at hand, the rest is child’s play to someone like them.

We know this has been said time and time again, but that doesn’t make this any less true. The Tampa Bay Lightning needs their Thunder more than ever.

Whether you’re watching tonight’s festivities from your seats at 401 Channelside, your favorite sports bar, or the comfort of your own home, we call upon you to scream loud and proud for your Tampa Bay Lightning and let them know that we are fully behind them here in the Bolts Nation. Are you ready?

Next: Ryan Callahan Undergoes Emergency Appendectomy

The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed back home to the Amalie Arena in Tampa for Game 6 in the hopes of finally closing out the series.

More from Bolts by the Bay