Tampa Bay Lightning Needs To Keep Momentum Rolling
The Tampa Bay Lightning needs to keep momentum on their side as they travel north to the Barclays Center to take on the New York Islanders in Game 3.
The Tampa Bay Lightning put on quite a performance on Saturday night in front of their hometown crowd at the Amalie Arena in sunny Tampa, Florida as they systematically dismantled the New York Islanders 4-1 in Game 2 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This was a complete one hundred and eighty-degree turn from the team we saw take the ice in Game 1, and that’s a very good thing.
Now, the Tampa Bay Lightning must make the trek north to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, deep in the heart of Islanders territory, to take on the New York Islanders in both Games 3 and 4 of the series. While the Tampa Bay Lightning have shown they have no difficulty winning both at home and on the road, playing in a building like this always has some kind of wear on the opposing team.
New York is filled with passionate fans, much like those here in the Bolts Nation, which have absolutely no issue showing their love for their team (and at the top of their lungs.) It’s going to be a loud and raucous environment, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have to put all of that out of their minds and focus on what matters most, scoring goals and winning games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning did something on Saturday night we need to see more of, taking shots from the blueline. There have been numerous occasions this season where this has been a difference maker for the Tampa Bay Lightning. One of the most glaring examples of this is back at the Tampa Bay Lightning home opener when Jason Garrison took a pass from Ryan Callahan and blew past Steve Mason all the way from the blueline.
The latest example of this came during the third period on Saturday night when Victor Hedman capitalized on a power play opportunity and turned a pass from Lightning center Tyler Johnson into the third Lightning goal of the night and helped make a much-needed statement in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-1 victory.
Another thing the Tampa Bay Lightning will need to do in order to keep the momentum on their side is to be aggressive with the puck. From the moment they come down that tunnel and step onto the ice, they need to be prepared to set the tone early and keep the pressure on the Islanders for a whole 60 minutes of hockey.
There is no denying this is something the Lightning have struggled with in the past, but this is the point and time in the season when every move a team makes matters and its high time they find the chemistry we all know they have inside of them. The same chemistry that saw the Tampa Bay Lightning make it to one game away from holding the Stanley Cup high above their heads last season.
One of the biggest keys to the Lightning’s success on Saturday night can also be attributed to their ability to neutralize Islanders captain John Tavares. Tavares is currently leading the way for the Isles in both goals and overall points. Since the start of the postseason, Tavares has brought home six goals and five assists for a total of 11 points.
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If the Tampa Bay Lightning can continue to keep a player like John Tavares in the background, they will certainly find themselves in a position to bring home a win in Brooklyn. The Lightning knows all-too-well this is not going to be an easy task, but if there is any team in the National Hockey League who can accomplish this feat, it’s the Lightning.
A big part of this equation is going to be Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. Since losing his linemate Anton Stralman to a fractured tibia, Hedman has had to kick things into overdrive, sometimes skating 30 plus minutes per game. This may seem like an overwhelming amount of time, but if there is one thing Lightning fans have learned over the course of the last few seasons, it’s that Victor Hedman can face just about any challenge.
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As we have mentioned before, the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have their work cut out for them as they make their way into the Barclays Center. The building may be against them, but the Tampa Bay Lightning have built their reputation around overcoming adversity, and these next two games will be just another step in their journey towards raising Lord Stanley’s Cup high above their heads.