Tampa Bay Lightning: Five Players We’re Thankful For This Season
As people around the Bolts Nation celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with their families, we take a look at five Tampa Bay Lightning players we’re thankful for this season.
The moment people have quite literally waited all year long for has finally arrived. The holiday season is finally in full swing. As many of you in the Bolts Nation sit down together with your friends and families to feast on the tidings of the Thanksgiving holiday, we here at Bolts By The Bay have decided to take a look at the Top Five Tampa Bay Lightning players we are thankful for this season.
As most of you know by now, the Tampa Bay Lightning has seen more than their fair share of trials and tribulations throughout the course of the 2015-16 season. The Tampa Bay Lightning started off the season with a bang by defeating the hard-hitting Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in the Lightning Home Opener. From there, the Bolts would go on to capture wins in the next two games, including a thrilling 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins.
This is where things started to turn sideways. All of a sudden, the Tampa Bay Lightning offensive found themselves unable to find the back of the net. Adding insult to injury, the Lightning began to suffer the dark plague brought on by the injury bug.
It has taken more time than some of us would like for the Tampa Bay Lightning to get out from under the hole they found themselves in early on in the season, but alas the Lightning have indeed done it. Sparked by a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in a rematch from the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning has seemingly found its groove and it back on the right track to a successful season.
Throughout all of their pains this season, there are a few players who have been steadfast in keeping the Lightning on track and doing everything within their power to keep the Lightning in the game. It is those players who we are most thankful for this season.
So, as you sit back and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner (or lunch in some cases) with your family, take a look at the five Tampa Bay Lightning players we are thankful for this season.
Once you’ve taken a look at our list, let us know what you think. Do you think there is another Tampa Bay Lightning player who has made a tremendous impact on the Lightning this season? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Next: 5. What Can Brown Do For You?
May 7, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing J.T. Brown (23) against the Montreal Canadiens in game four of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
5. J.T. Brown
We would be lying to you if we told you that coming into this season we did not have our reservations about young Tampa Bay Lightning right wing J.T. Brown. Thankfully, we can tell you with the sincerest of honesty that J.T. Brown has fought hard and seriously changed our outlook on the twenty five year old forward.
When J.T. Brown was first brought up from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, people expected great things out of him. At first it seemed as if he would be able to live up to the expectations set by those around him and in the stands, but slowly things started to wean off and Brown found himself as a healthy scratch on more than one occasion.
We are not sure what J.T. Brown did during the off-season that set him on the path he is on right now, but the one thing we know for sure is we want him to use this as a starting point and build on it for many seasons to come. Over the course of the season, and especially in the last few games, Brown has proved himself to be a valuable asset to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the month of November, Brown has registered one goal and four assists for a total of five points accompanying a season-long plus/minus rating of plus 5. Two of those assists came in just the last two games.
The Minnesota native would earn himself an assist on the game winning shorthanded goal by Valtteri Filppula in the Lightning’s 2-1 win over the New York Rangers, the win which seemed to spark the Tampa Bay Lightning’s turnaround this season. Brown’s second assist would come on a goal from Brian Boyle in the early moments of the third period in the Lightning’s astonishing 5-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks last Saturday night.
J.T. Brown has incredible speed, good situational awareness, and a durability about him that has become absolutely invaluable this season. He is also rather skilled at getting in the face of his opponents and breaking up a play when it really matters. It is no wonder Brown is one of the players we are most thankful for this season.
Next: 4. When The Triplets Become One
Nov 5, 2015; Buffalo, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
4. Nikita Kucherov
There is no denying the Triplet Line, which consists of center Tyler Johnson, left wing Ondrej Palat, and right wing Nikita Kucherov, has become one of the most dominant lines the Tampa Bay Lightning has in their arsenal. Last season, the Triplets accounted for over one third of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s total points.
Unfortunately, what happens when the Triplets get brought down to a single player? Earlier this month, Ondrej Palat suffered a Lower Body Injury which would force the young winger to miss 3-5 weeks of action. At this particular point and time, he has already missed five games. Then, Kucherov’s other linemate Tyler Johnson would be struck down with a nagging Upper Body Injury.
This left Nikita Kucherov to make his way on a new line and build a chemistry with a whole new set of players. Anyone who has witnessed the magic created by the chemistry between the Triplets knows this is something far more difficult to accomplish than one would be led to imagine.
Despite everything that has been thrown his way this season, Kucherov has found a way to keep his head in the game and make the most of the hand he’s been giving. The twenty two year old Russian forward has played in 22 games so far this season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In that amount of time, he has managed to score six goals and seven assists for a total of 13 points to accompany his plus-4 rating.
Kucherov really stood out in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks last Saturday night. As both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first period of play, it would be Nikita Kucherov who would break through in the opening minutes of the second period and score what would ultimately be the game winning goal.
Nikita Kucherov would also register not one, but two assists during the Lightning’s win over the Ducks. The first would come late in the second period on a Power Play goal by Steven Stamkos, and the second would come at the halfway point in the third period when Jonathan Marchessault would score his first goal of the season while the Tampa Bay Lightning were once again on the Power Play.
Nikita Kucherov has been, and will continue to be one of the most valuable players in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s lineup thanks to his speed, his situational awareness, and his uncanny ability to read a play and be in the right place at the right time.
Next: 3. Anyone Hungry For Some Boyle’d Duck?
May 7, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Brian Boyle (11) against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game four of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
3. Brian Boyle
There is no doubt in our minds that Brian Boyle is one of the key pieces to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s lineup. Judging by the way he has been playing lately, Boyle may be on his way to having an even better season than the one he experienced last season in his first year with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The thirty year old Hingham native known as Brian Boyle is by far one of the most versatile players on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whatever needs to be done, you can bet your bottom dollar Boyle is up to the task; whether it be playing up front, doubling in for defense, or even the player who gets the call to be double-shifted.
So far this season, Brian Boyle has played in 19 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In that amount of time, Boyle has managed to score four goals and two assists for a total of six points. While this may not seem like a lot, especially for someone with as much talent as Boyle, it is how he performs on the ice that has the most impact on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Brian Boyle is another one of the players who had an impact in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks.
After the aforementioned J.T. Brown breaks up a play behind the Ducks’ net, Brown hands the puck off to the already waiting stick of Brian Boyle. Even as he is on his way to the ice on one knee, Boyle still finds a way to put the puck behind Anaheim Ducks netminder Frederik Andersen.
If there is anyone on this team we would like to have as a member of our Fantasy Roster, and more importantly as part of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s roster, it is someone like Brian Boyle. Thankfully, Boyle doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Next: 2. How Swede It Is…
Oct 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) skates against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2. Victor Hedman
Throughout the last couple of seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning has seen their fair share of ups and has most certainly seen their fair share of downs, but one of the things that has always been a consistency for the Tampa Bay Lightning has been the play of Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.
The twenty four year old Swedish defenseman is one of those chosen few defensemen in the National Hockey League who are just as dangerous offensively as they are defensively. Victor Hedman has played 21 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning so far this season. In that amount of time, Hedman has scored one goal and eleven assists for a total of twelve points.
Hedman’s numbers put him in first place among Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen in points and third overall on the team. When you have a defenseman bringing home more points than some of your most skilled forwards, you know you have found a playmaker you want to hold onto for many years to come.
It comes as a shock to exactly no one that Hedman is just as solid on the blue line as he is in front of the net. Hedman is currently in third place on the team in terms of blocked shots with 28. This places him one shot behind defenseman Matt Carle. Leading the way for the Lightning in Blocked Shots on defenseman Jason Garrison with a whopping 37. Hedman has also been credited with 9 hits so far this season.
Another positive thing Victor Hedman has on his side, in addition to his rather tall stature, is his speed. With his long legs combined with the strength contained within, Hedman can take off like a shot and make it to the other end of the ice in no time at all.
One of the biggest contributions Hedman makes to a young Tampa Bay Lightning team is veteran experience. While he may not have been in the National Hockey League as someone like former Lightning forward Brenden Morrow or former Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk, Hedman has been to the big game and knows what it takes to compete on the highest level in the league.
Whether Victor Hedman’s contributions are on the scoresheet or buried at the blue line in a monster hit on one of the Lightning’s opponents, if there is any defenseman we would look to in a bind, that player would be Victor Hedman.
Next: 1. Oh, captain! My captain!
Nov 7, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos (91) in the first period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
1. Steven Stamkos
There is no denying that when it comes to the key components to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s lineup, one name you will find at the top of everyone’s list it Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. Ever since making his National Hockey League debut back in the 2008-2009 season when he was just 18 years of age, he has consistently put up 40+ points and 20+ goal seasons, even the season that was cut short due to injury.
In the time since he took over as Tampa Bay Lightning captain from Martin St. Louis back in the 2013-14 season, Stamkos has led the Tampa Bay Lightning through both ups and downs. The biggest of those ups has been the trip that saw the Tampa Bay Lightning become the Eastern Conference Champions and go on to compete in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals.
This season, the Tampa Bay Lightning captain, and two time “Rocket” Richard winner, is well on his way to another banner season. Steven Stamkos has played in all 22 games the Tampa Bay Lightning has played this season. In that amount of time, Stamkos has scored eleven goals and six assists for a total of 17 points. The captain currently leads the team in both goals and overall points.
While Stamkos has been fairly consistent throughout the season, things have really started to kick into high gear in the last couple of games. As we mentioned before, the captain scored not once, but twice (one of which was on the Power Play) in just over one minute. Stamkos also registered an assist on a goal from Jonathan Marchessault at the halfway point in the third period, which gave the Lightning the 5-0 shutout victory over the Ducks.
Unfortunately, much of his success this season has been shrouded in darkness by the looming contract situation that seems to continually come up in conversation. While his future with the Tampa Bay Lightning is still uncertain, there is one thing we know for sure. Steven Stamkos is committed to the Tampa Bay Lightning right now, and the Bolts are starting to find their way to another successful season.
Much like his teammates, Steven Stamkos knows what it is like to compete at the highest level in the National Hockey League. Now that the Tampa Bay Lightning have found the swagger they have been so desperately searching for this season, there is a very good chance they will get another opportunity to play in the post season. If they play their cards right, they could even find themselves competing once again for Lord Stanley’s Cup.