Tampa Bay Lightning: The Real Matt Carle Effect

As defenseman in the NHL, one of the most important parts of the job is to not turn the puck over. Well, turnovers have burned Matt Carle more times than most and these turnovers are the main reason why he is so highly criticized. Carle seems to be on the wrong side of the turnover more times than not and those turnovers are easy to see to fans watching at home or in their seat at Amalie Arena. Here is an example from a few years go that just cannot happen as an NHL defenseman.

That goal, scored by former New York Ranger captain and current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan, should never have happened. Both teams are in the middle of a line change and as a defender you have to understand that. Your job is to get the puck out of your zone safely, even if it means changing possession in the attacking zone. Knowing the opposing team is changing as well, Carle should have been aware of the oncoming pressure and made an outlet at the Tampa Bay Lightning bench where he could have backhanded the puck to either the forward coming off the bench or off the wall and into th e attacking zone. Plays like this don’t exactly help your case in terms of being a fan favorite.

However, when you think of turnovers, Matt Carle doesn’t exactly take the top spot on his own team. Carle actually ranks ahead of star blue liner Victor Hedman in turnover plus-minus. Though his number is still relatively high, you will notice some names that you wouldn’t exactly expect to be necessarily be in the same category as Carle.

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As you can see, the blue line in general had a problem with turnovers last season. In the same number of games, Victor Hedman almost had more than double the amount of turnover that Carle had. If each player played 82 games based off of these numbers, Carle would rank only behind Anton Stralman and Jason Garrison for the least amount of turnovers committed by a Lightning defender.

Funny thing is, you don’t notice anyone get on Victor Hedman or Braydon Coburn about their turnovers. Their heads are not being put on the chopping block or being asked to leave town. So, even though Matt Carle has a history of turnover issues, he isn’t exactly the only one that has this problem. Hold others accountable for their mistakes at the same level as you do for Carle.

Next: The Underrated Aspects Of Matt Carle's Game

We talked about in the last slide how one of the most important jobs for a defender is to not turn the puck over. For the Tampa Bay Lightning and Head Coach Jon Cooper’s system, another important aspect of a defenders game is to be able to contribute offensively. Now, that doesn’t always mean getting your name on the score sheet every night, but setting up an offensive opportunity or even getting the puck into the offensive zone is just as important. For Matt Carle, that is one of the underrated skills to his game that many fans just do not appreciate.

In a recent article, I talked about how the Detroit Red Wings and how they have found a possible solution for the ‘Tampa Triplets’. Detroit has a system that allows their defenders and forwards to clamp down on the skillful forwards so they do not have the chance to generate speed in the neutral zone. This leaves the Lightning defense the task of advancing the puck through the neutral zone with the opposition crowding the area heavily.

So far, Lightning blue liners have had trouble advancing the puck through the zone and into the attacking third so an offensive chance can be generated. One player that has done the job well more times than not is Matt Carle. Not only does he get the puck through the neutral zone, but he advances into the attacking zone and holds the puck so that his forwards can find open ice. Next to Victor Hedman, Carle is one of the best on the team in doing this. We have seen it not only against opponents like Detroit, but also against other teams that allow open lanes through the middle of the ice that allow defenseman like Carle to advance uncontested into the offensive zone.

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Another aspect of Carle’s game that goes unnoticed is his ability to block shots. Carle ranked second on the team, once again just behind Victor Hedman, in this category last season. If healthy for all 82 games last season, Carle would be in the top 30 in the entire league for this stat with an estimated 142 blocked shots

It may not be the flashy blocks where you see a player like J.T. Brown slide across the top of the circle to negate a potential scoring chance, but it gets the job done. When the Lightning lost Carle during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Montreal Canadians, you could tell that Carle’s presence in the lineup was missed.

Along with using his body along the wall better over the last few seasons and improving his outlet passes, Matt Carle does more things for this team and does not get the credit a player like Hedman or Stralman receives. Now, that is not saying that Carle has exactly played up to the $5.75 million dollar salary that he is currently receiving and you would like to see some of the offensive punch that he provided back in his days with the Philadelphia Flyers, but on a team that has the chance to win the Stanley Cup now, Carle is a kep piece on the Lightning blue line.

Next: It's Time To Appreciate Matt Carle Just A Little Bit More

Dec 13, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Carle (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

If you remember the days of Dan Boyle in a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform, Carle plays a similar game defensivly, but does not offer the same offensive firepower. Nobody exactly was too happy to see him get traded even though his level of play began to descend after the 2005 lockout.

At the end of the day, Matt Carle will never live up to his $5.75 million dollar salary. He won’t play top pair minutes, he won’t score 40 points per season, and his name will not be on the back on many Tampa Bay Lightning fans jerseys. However, you can do much worse than having a veteran like Matt Carle on your blue line.

His contract does not run out until the conclusion of the 2017-18 season and his name will not be involved in trade talks anytime soon, so while Matt Carle patrols the blue line for the Tampa Bay Lightning for what looks to be the next three seasons, take the time to appreciate the little things that he does for this team.

This isn’t a situation like Vincent Lecavalier in Philly where a player making over $5 million dollars per year will be sitting up in the press box. Instead, Matt Carle will be in the lineup night in and night out whether you like it or not. If there is an injury to either Victor Hedman (like there is currently) or Braydon Coburn, Carle has the ability to step up and play a top-4 role effectively.

Do we want him playing top-4 minutes for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs? No. He can do the job well, but we have learned over the years that he is most effective when he is playing 18-20 minutes per night on the third pair. When he is on the ice, you will get a player that is willing to sacrifice his body to block shots, lead the offensive rush, and even score a goal from time to time. So Tampa Bay Lightning fans, it is time to start appreciating Matt Carle just a little bit more. In order for this team to win a Stanley Cup, Matt Carle needs to be on the ice.

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