TAMPA, FLA – 2004 seems like a long time ago, especially for fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning. That was the year when the Bolts won the Stanley Cup, seemingly solidifying the franchise’s place in Florida sports. Since then, the team missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and thanks to an ownership group that had a horror movie producer at its head, almost lost everything it had built.
This weekend, the new look, new attitude Lightning will take to the ice against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals, just four wins away from a return trip to the Stanley Cup finals – a place that many never expected to see again so quickly.
Tampa Bay’s rise from worst in the NHL two years running to playing for a spot in the finals is nothing short of amazing. When new owner Jeffrey Vinik (he being an investment banker from Boston who is also a minority owner of the Red Sox) went out and hired Steve Yzerman as his general manager despite Yzerman never having been the ultimate decision maker, everyone simply hoped for a slow but steady turnaround.
Yzerman then went out and stole Guy Boucher right from under the noses of the Montreal Canadiens to be his head coach (Boucher had been the coach of Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Hamilton). Again, the fans were hopeful about the decision but hockey insiders knew that Yzerman had made the right move. They just didn’t know how right he was.
Fueled by Vinik’s passion to restore the Lightning to where it was in 2004, Yzerman’s hockey knowledge and Boucher’s mastery of locker room psychology, Tampa began peaking right around playoff time. They finished as the fifth seed in the conference, drawing the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. After falling behind three games to one,
Tampa Bay forward Sean Bergenheim (photo courtesy of NHL/Tampa Bay Lightning)
Tampa’s roll continued in the second round against the Washington Capitals. With Roloson playing MVP-level goal and Boucher’s use of a 1-3-1 forecheck method, the Lightning did the unthinkable by sweeping Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps in four straight games.
The stats from the first two series show a team that is performing as a team. Super stars Martin St. Louis (six goals, seven assists) and captain Vincent Lecavalier (five goals, seven assists) are naturally leading the way. Superstar-to-be Steven Stamkos, playing in his first post-season as an NHLer, has begun to find his way with four goals and two assists.
It isn’t just the big boys who are chipping in. Veterans like Steve Downie (two goals, ten assists), Simon Gagne (two goals, five assists), Ryan Malone (three goals, two assists), Dominic Moore (two goals, six assists) and Teddy Purcell (one goal, ten assists) have all made major contributions.
Then there are players like Bergenheim who have transcended into hero status. Bergenheim leads the Bolts with seven playoff goals while bringing hustle and work ethic to every shift. Guys like Eric Brewer, Victor Hedman, Nate Thompson, Mattias Ohlund, Marc-Andre Bergeron and others have all chipped in with points. In all, 18 of the 22 players Tampa has dressed so far in the playoffs have at least one point.
Then there is the story of Roloson. The 41-year old net minder has been nothing short of spectacular. The former UMass-Lowell goalie (his coach was former Bruin Bruce Crowder) is posting career-best
Tampa Bay goalie Dwayne Roloson (photo courtesy of NHL/Tampa Bay Lightning)
Team-wise, the numbers tell a similar story. Of the four remaining teams, Tampa’s power play is the best at 12-for-45 for a 26.67 success percentage. The penalty killers have only given up three goals in 54 times short for a kill rate of 94. 44 percent which is also tops. When the Bolts are on the road, they sport a 5-1 record thanks in part to a perfect penalty kill (36 kills in 36 chances). At home, Tampa is merely 3-2 and both the power play and penalty kill have been slightly less effective.
Now come the Bruins. Boston has not tasted champagne from the Stanley Cup since 1972 but do have five failed visits to the finals – the last coming in 1990 – to show over the last 39 years.
This past regular season, the Bruins won three of the four meetings between the two teams. Tampa’s lone win came on November 22 at the St. Pete Times Forum. Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, went 3-0 with a 1.67 goals against average and .950 save percentage against the Lightning. Roloson did not play against the Bruins after being acquired in a trade with the Islanders but is 5-2-0 with a 1.97 goals against and a .941 save percentage against Boston during his career. The teams have not met since March 3rd.
Injuries could play a key role in the series. Tampa expects that Gagne (concussion) back to start the series while Boston Patrice Bergeron (concussion) is still a question mark although most expect rookie Tyler Seguin to dress in game one replacing Bergeron.
At this point, both teams are hot but more than a week’s layoff could be a factor when the teams meet for the first two games Saturday and Tuesday in Boston. The series will then shift to Tampa for games three and four next Thursday and Saturday afternoon.
If the Lightning can utilize their 1-3-1 defense as they did against the Penguins and Capitals to stymie a Boston offense that has run both hot and cold at times (the Bruins’ futility on the power play is a prime example), they have the horses to go toe-to-toe with the Bruins. They will also have to figure out a way to beat Thomas otherwise it will be a long series for them. Defensively, if Roloson continues to play like he has, he could frustrate the B’s into losing their composure and focus, giving Tampa a chance to take advantage.
Lightning fans are hoping that even with the movie mogul gone, their team can take them “Back to the Future” with another visit from Lord Stanley’s cup in the offing.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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