Lightning in tough against mighty Pens
Possible return of injured Stamkos, Stralman would change the dynamic
In far too many discussions concerning the march of the Tampa Bay Lightning to a second consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference final, the caveat “Yeah, but ...” always seems to come up.
As in, “Yeah, but who did they beat?” It is, in fact, a subtle shot at coach Jon Cooper’s team, a backhanded suggestion that the Lightning has advanced this far because of the perception that the opposition to this point has been weak.
Admittedly, maybe the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings aren’t considered to be among the top three or four most-talented squads in the league.
But that should not take away from the fact that Tampa Bay did its job by efficiently defeating whichever team was in its way. And Cooper’s players did exactly that, beating both the Red Wings and Islanders in five games.
Moreover, the Lightning accomplished the feat without its top goal scorer and captain, Steven Stamkos, and its No. 2 defenceman, Anton Stralman. Given that these two key cogs have been out of the lineup dating back to the latter stages of the regular season, Tampa Bay deserves even more credit for reaching the third round instead of having the accomplishment downplayed by the critics.
Think the Anaheim Ducks or Washington Capitals — the two teams favoured during the preseason by the majority of experts to reach the Stanley Cup final — would want to change places with the Lightning right now? Count on it.
At the same time, the Pittsburgh Penguins present a much more formidable foe, easily the most difficult roadblock in Tampa Bay’s quest to reach the Stanley Cup final.
With apologies to the Isles and Wings, the Penguins arguably are the deepest team in the Stanley Cup tournament, at least in terms of their cache of forwards. Any roster that can feature stars such as Sidney Crosby on one line, Evgeni Malkin on another and Phil Kessel as part of a third, is a goalie’s nightmare, as Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop can attest.
As a result, perhaps the key factor in this series will be the health of Stamkos and Stralman.
Diagnosed with blood clots late in the season, Stamkos is back on the ice, working out with the team, although he hasn’t yet been cleared for contact. Both Stamkos and general manager Steve Yzerman have stated that a return to the lineup later on in this Eastern Conference final is a realistic possibility— one that certainly would boost the onice product and off-ice attitude of the Lightning.
Stralman, meanwhile, this week participated in a full practice for the first time since fracturing his fibula back on March 25. Stralman’s return would be huge for the Lightning, helping take the pressure off stud blueliner Victor Hedman and adding another puckmoving presence on the back end.
In a series that stands to showcase speed and talent, Stralman and Stamkos could be the two wild cards that help determine which team represents the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup final.
THREE PRESSING QUESTIONS
1.
Who will Hedman be in charge of shutting down — Crosby, Malkin or the Phil Kessel-Nick Bonino-Carl Hagelin line?
Given how many minutes he gobbles up during a game, chances are that all will see the star Lightning defenceman shadowing them at some point. While Crosby and Malkin are the bigger names, the Kessel line was the Penguins’ best in the six-game elimination of the Capitals. The best bet: when the matchups are in favour of Lightning, Crosby will be the one who can expect to see a lot of the big Swede. 2.
If rookie Matt Murray falters, should the more experienced Marc-Andre Fleury get the call?
After Pittsburgh’s 3-1 loss to the Caps in Game 5, the public rumblings already started concerning a possible goaltending switch. But coach Mike Sullivan knew better and stuck with Murray, who ran his playoff record to 7-2 with a 4-3 overtime elimination of the Capitals. Unless the kid has a complete meltdown — and there has been nothing to suggest that is on the verge of happening — the job should be Murray’s to lose. 3.
After disposing of one Vezina finalist in Washington’s Braden Holtby, what can the Penguins expect in Tampa’s Bishop?
Calling Bishop underrated might be a stretch but he’s certainly doesn’t get the same type of publicity that the likes of Holtby and Jonathan Quick do. He should. If not for the painful groin tear that hindered him during the Stanley Cup final against the Chicago Blackhawks a year ago, who knows if Tampa Bay’s fate might have been different? Obviously you can’t change history. But Bishop is healthy now and will be a force. In order to be successful, the Penguins must make him move side to side. It is very rare that teams can beat him straight on because of his 6-foot-7 frame. The Lightning wins if: Stralman gets up to speed quickly. A return from Stamkos wouldn’t hurt, either. The Penguins win if: Matt Murray keeps playing with the composure of a 10-year veteran and not the rookie he is.