Tampa Bay Lightning: 50 Greatest Moments In Franchise History
By Kyle Barber
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
9. The Triplets Are Born
Date: October 24, 2014
In the past, the Tampa Bay Lightning would generally have a handful of players on their roster who would do a majority of the heavy lifting when it comes to scoring goals and setting records. In the 2014-15 season, an interesting question would be posed to the Tampa Bay Lightning. What would happen if there was a trio willing to take on the job head first?
In the beginning of the 2014-15 season, center Tyler Johnson and left wing Ondrej Palat were already playing together on the same line. These two were a part of a trio, which at one point consisted of Johnson, Palat, and right wing Richard Panik, known as the “Top Gun Line.”
Unfortunately, Johnson and Palat would go through a few linemates after Richard Panik was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Eventually, Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper would start pairing Johnson and Palat with Brett Connolly.
Unfortunately, on October 24th, just eight games into the season, Brett Connolly was injured in the first period of the game and would not return. Coach Cooper was faced with a difficult decision. Who would Cooper pair up with Johnson and Palat now? This is where it all begins.
Coach Cooper elected to pair Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat with fellow Syracuse Crunch alumni Nikita Kucherov. Absolutely no one knew it at the time, but these three players would come to be one of the most valuable assets the Tampa Bay Lightning had in their roster.
The chemistry between these three players borders on uncanny. There are times when fans watching from their seats in Amalie Arena would swear the trio could read each other’s’ minds and know exactly where they were on the ice and what they were doing at the moment.
This is where things get really interesting. In the 82 games they played that season, the Tampa Bay Lightning as a whole would score a total of 259 goals and 440 assists for a total of 699 points. Of those points, 74 goals and 126 assist for a grand total of 200 points, would belong to the line that would become known as The Triplets. This means the Triplets accounted for just over a third of the team’s overall offense.
Who would have thought on that fateful day in October when Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Nikita Kucherov were all placed on the same line, that they would soon become one of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s offensive powerhouses? Hopefully, these three will remain in Tampa Bay Lightning sweaters for many years to come.
Next: Hanging With Mr. Cooper