3 burning questions as Lightning go into Recreation 3 towards Panthers – Tampa Bay Occasions

TAMPA — The Lightning might draw loads of positives from the primary two video games of their first-round sequence towards the Panthers. However after falling right into a 2-0 gap after a pair of one-goal losses on the street, there have been no ethical victories to take into Recreation 3 Thursday at Amalie Area.
The crew that’s used its “course of over consequence” mantra by good instances and dangerous now wants outcomes.
“We’re enjoying some fairly good hockey in right here,” left wing Brandon Hagel mentioned. “… However fairly good isn’t going to be adequate. Getting a win is sweet sufficient at this level within the sequence, and also you’ve received to go in and nonetheless have perception and are available into that Recreation 3 figuring out this factor is much from over..”
There hasn’t been an enormous distinction between the crew’s play, although Florida has taken management of each video games early, forcing Tampa Bay to return from behind. Each groups have yielded few scoring probabilities and gotten very good goaltending. They’ve performed bodily whereas managing to regulate their feelings.
Finally, the Panthers’ clutch gene, developed whereas advancing to the Stanley Cup remaining final season (because the Lightning did in earlier postseasons), has been the distinction.
“It’s been a Florida-Tampa sequence that’s mainly taken proper off from those which were previously. Actually thrilling. You’re on the sting of your seat,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned. “There’s large saves on each ends of the ice. However in the long run, they made the final play, they usually’ve achieved it each nights. And we will’t grasp our hat on, ‘Effectively, we had been shut.’ That’s what groups which can be enjoying golf proper now are saying”
Listed below are three burning questions going into Recreation 3.
The Lightning misplaced the primary two video games on the street within the 2022 Japanese Convention remaining towards the Rangers however had been in a position to rebound on house ice. They received 3-2 in Recreation 3 on their option to 4 straight wins to get rid of New York and seal a 3rd straight journey to the Stanley Cup remaining.
Cooper mentioned the off day between Video games 2 and three was essential for his crew.
“It was a giant day in our teaching workers room,” he mentioned. “However very similar to that 12 months, we felt there was a components and it was only a matter of adhering to it. The one factor I hate doing in conditions like that is saying, ‘Effectively, we did it then, we’re going to do it now.’ We will do it now, however what we did again then, we simply performed a one-game sequence. We didn’t sit right here and say, ‘Oh my gosh, now we’re down two.’
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“We’re not going to win two video games (Thursday) night time. We’ve simply received to win one. That was a lot the perspective we had again then, and it simply type of snowballed after that.”
The Lightning trailed 2-0 halfway by Recreation 3 however received power-play objectives from Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos to tie the rating earlier than successful on Ondrej Palat’s objective with 42 seconds left. Palat, who was one of many Lightning’s most clutch playoff gamers, is gone, however this crew can duplicate the 2022 squad’s will to win.
After an everyday season through which Kucherov gave the Lightning all the pieces they wanted once they wanted it, scoring 44 objectives and setting a franchise file with 144 factors, Kucherov has been locked down by the Panthers.
He has no objectives, two assists and simply three photographs on objective by two video games after ending the common season averaging greater than two factors per sport over the ultimate 17. Like most of his teammates, he’s struggled to seek out the online, as 9 of his 12 makes an attempt have both been astray or been blocked.
The Panthers, one of the best defensive crew within the league within the common season, have taken away Kucherov’s area on the ice, and due to that he in all probability has tried an excessive amount of to make performs with that further cross.
Cooper wish to see him shoot extra, very similar to he did earlier within the season when he needed to carry the Lightning offense.
“I really imagine Kuch is at his greatest when he’s taking pictures the puck, and I feel that for all our gamers would assist,” Cooper mentioned. “We’re taking pictures pucks, however they’re not hitting the online. I feel that may be a giant factor for us, possibly slightly bit extra quantity at their goalie. He’s made some spectacular saves. However his percentages say the extra you get at him, the extra chance they might go in..”
When the Lightning acquired Jeannot for 5 draft picks on the 2023 commerce deadline, it was to play in tight-checking, bodily video games like these.
Doling out punishment is his energy, so why was he mysteriously absent from the lineup in Recreation 2? And why did Cooper really feel enjoying with one fewer ahead and one further defenseman gave the Lightning their greatest likelihood to win?
Jeannot didn’t make a lot of an influence over the ultimate 13 video games of the common season after coming back from a lower-body damage. In a Recreation 1 that featured a mixed 116 hits, his physicality didn’t stand out. Of the Lightning’s 60 hits, he had solely three whereas enjoying a team-low 11 shifts.
Not like a number of the groups’ earlier postseason conferences, the Panthers have discovered the right way to be each bodily and disciplined. The groups are hitting, however they aren’t actually punishing one another, they usually aren’t preventing. There’s not a lot want for an enforcer like Jeannot if he isn’t standing out in different methods.
So, was Jeannot a wholesome scratch in Recreation 2, or was he injured? He was a full observe participant Monday, and there wasn’t any indication he was damage.
Occasions workers author Rick Stroud contributed to this story.
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Eduardo A. Encina is a sports activities reporter protecting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Attain him at eencina@tampabay.com.
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