After a slow start to the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are starting to find their stride. They’ve become a strong road team, going 8-2-2, including back-to-back wins last weekend in Detroit and New York. In past years, road trips were more of a hurdle, but this group doesn’t seem phased.
There’s no question injuries have been a key factor this season. Captain Victor Hedman has not played a game since early November, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak remain on injured reserve, and Brayden Point is out with an undisclosed injury.
Still, the Lightning keep finding ways to win, relying on several call-ups from the Syracuse Crunch. Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Declan Carlile, and Steven Santini have all stepped in to help fill the gaps. With the two teams running the same system, the transition has been smooth for the players — the biggest adjustment is the added speed of an NHL game.
“We’re aware of what’s going on down there, just like they’re aware of what’s going on up here,” Lightning assistant coach Dan Hinote said of the Syracuse Crunch. “So when players come up, the transition is easy. All the guys who have come up have done a great job stepping in and filling exactly what we’ve needed.”
The Lightning maintain regular communication with the Crunch coaching staff and keep tabs on which players are practicing hard and playing well. As Jon Cooper has said repeatedly, players earn their chance to come up.
“You’ve got a group of veterans in here that are leading the way, and then you have a bunch of players being given an opportunity,” Cooper said. “The misconception is ‘next man up’—well you have to fill Hedman’s shoes, or McDonagh’s, or Point’s. That’s not your job. Your job is to do the best you possibly can in the structure we have for you.”
After last season’s first-round playoff exit, the Lightning players knew adjustments were coming. Every game is a chance to improve, and they know that building habits throughout the regular season will get them where they want to be come April, May, and June.
For years, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the backbone of the Lightning’s roster. The 31-year-old is off to another strong start, posting an 11-5-2 record with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. When Vasilevskiy is locked in, the Lightning know they always have a chance — and if something breaks down, he’s there to help bail them out.
“Sometimes we’re playing great, and sometimes things don’t go our way,” said Vasilevskiy. “That’s why, if the team doesn’t play well in front of me, I have to step out and do my job. Same thing for them if I don’t have my best game. That’s how it works here, we help each other out. It won’t be perfect all the time, but if we prepare the right way and work consistently, the results will come.”
The culture in the Lightning locker room has been shaped and solidified over the years by coach Jon Cooper, evolving subtly with each new group. It’s tried and true, and when new players come in, they never have to wonder where they stand.
“I think our identity right now, with the number of injuries we have, is a next-man-up mentality,” said veteran Yanni Gourde. “Everybody is stepping up and doing whatever they’re asked to do. You just go out there and do it for the good of the team.”
“It’s been fun to see so many guys being selfless and putting the team first,” Gourde added. “That’s what it’s all about, and it’s why I talk about the culture and what this organization represents. The culture and standard is high, everyone’s stepping in and doing their part, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch. There’s only great people in this organization and we’re seeing that right now.”