Tampa Bay Lightning: Scouting the Competition

The Tampa Bay Lightning are back on the ice, mere weeks away from kicking off the 2015-16′ NHL season. That generally comes with a bunch of questions and few answers, at least right now.

For the defending Eastern Conference Champions, those questions are few and far between a couple of days into training camp. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. One you’ll hear often over the next couple of weeks leading up to the October 8th regular season opener is how each opponent will match up with the team many deem to be the “Beast of the East”.

In this series I’ll be looking at all 30 teams one by one, taking into account their key additions and subtractions. I’ll then analyze how they may match up with the Tampa Bay Lightning. This week’s opponent: the Boston Bruins.

A member of the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, the Tampa Bay Lightning will see more than their fair share of the Bruins during the regular season. There are four meetings total, but it’s entirely possible that number goes up given this team’s penchant for making the playoffs.

In fact, before their narrow 2014-15′ miss, the B’s had made the postseason seven consecutive years dating back to the 2007-08′ season. During the 2015 offseason, the Bruins made plenty of moves with the hopes of getting back in the playoff picture.

One player expected to contribute offensively should be a familiar face to the Lightning organization. Brett Connolly was traded from Tampa Bay to Boston at the 2015 trade deadline in exchange for a 2015 and 2016 second round draft pick. He then signed an extension with the Bruins once the free agency period opened.

Connolly had a tough beginning with the Bruins, missing six weeks with a fractured right index finger suffered in his second practice with the team. He finally made his long-awaited Boston debut on April 3rd, 2015, tallying two assists against the Detroit Red Wings. After that, he went scoreless in the teams final four regular season contests.

Another player expected to provide a boost to the Bruins, both offensively and defensively, is Matt Beleskey. Signed to a multi-year contract early in free agency, Beleskey was solid at both ends of the ice for the Anaheim Ducks last season, putting up 22 goals and 32 points in 65 games played. He sported a respectable plus-13 rating as well.

Unfortunately, the postseason was a little different for the young Beleskey. He still totaled eight goals–the second most total among Ducks players–but struggled defensively. In fact, his minus-4 rating was the team’s worst during the playoffs.

The Bruins and new general manager Don Sweeney were also active in the offseason trade market. They began by dealing blueliner Dougie Hamilton to the Calgary Flames for a 2015 first and two second round picks. From there, Milan Lucic was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2015 first round pick, goaltender Martin Jones and defenseman Colin Miller.

Finally, they were able to swing a deal with the Florida Panthers, acquiring restricted free agent forward Jimmy Hayes for Reilly Smith and the contract of injured forward Marc Savard.

Other notable Beantown arrivals include forward Brandon DeFazio (Vancouver Canucks) and defenseman Matt Irwin (San Jose Sharks). They re-signed young prospect Ryan Spooner as well.

Irwin brings size, toughness and a bit of offensive upside to a Bruins team that lacked scoring from blueliners or anyone outside of their top 6 for that matter. On the other hand, re-signing Spooner signals a changing of the guard so to speak, as the youngster stands to receive more playing time at the big league level. That opens the door for DeFazio to continue growing his game with the AHL’s Providence Bruins.

Key losses are Gregory Campbell, Matt Bartkowski, Reilly Smith, Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic. Three departed via trade, easing the blow a little, while both Campbell and Bartkowski left in free agency.

Against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bruins will continue to be a tough out. They have a good mix of talent, highlighted by veterans Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara. Throw in young guns like Connolly, Spooner and Beleskey, plus one of the NHL’s elite netminders in Tuukka Rask, and they will be a force to be reckoned with again this season.

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With so much turnover, it comes down to communication and leadership. Can head coach Claude Julien get this entire team on the same page, working as one unit instead of individuals? If he can, the Bruins will be playoff bound and could vie for the Atlantic Division crown. If not, well, he’ll likely be one of the first coaches canned and the B’s will again struggle to make the postseason.

Everything being considered, I expect the Bruins to compile a record similar to last season where they went 2-2. Their offense has been upgraded and Rask at his best can single-handedly beat anyone in the NHL.

This season should be better for Bruins fans, though I do see them struggling a bit against the Lightning. 1-1-2 is my season series prediction, yet that’s mainly a result of the new 3-on-3 overtime format which favors high scoring teams like the Bolts. However, if the B’s can end things in regulation or extend them to a shootout that could easily become 3-1 or even 2-1-1.

What do you think? Could the Bruins pose a roadblock to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s quest for Lord Stanley? Does the addition of Beleskey significantly improve their offense? Is Rask able to return to his 2014 Vezina Trophy winning form? Will head coach Claude Julien make it through an entire season? Feel free to sound off in the comment section below.

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Tampa Bay Lightning: Scouting the Competition – Boston Bruins

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