4. Hagel-Cirelli-Killorn
The trio of Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn had their handprints all over this series. They became a matchup nightmare for the Rangers top line, especially in Tampa where the Lightning could dictate the matchups.
Though they have been more relied on for their shutdown abilities, these guys spent a ton of time in the offensive zone in game six. They created a ton of chances and were dominant while cycling the puck but just were not rewarded for it. They had just one goal between them in the series and that came with an empty net, but the impact they had as a shutdown line was huge.
They will have a huge test ahead with the high-flying Colorado Avalanche. They will present a great challenge especially with Tampa Bay starting out on the road and not being able to control the matchups.
Absolutely no one is scoring with Anthony Cirelli on the ice and he’s been such a beast
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) June 12, 2022
251:58 5v5 minutes this postseason. Including 60:01 vs Zibanejad, 52:52 vs Matthews, and 25:34 vs Barkov. 6 total goals in all of that time lmao