TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay was a popular -- really, the most popular -- preseason choice to win the Stanley Cup in 2020.
And while no one predicted that the Lightning would go 82-0, there might have been a few people who wondered if it was possible.
So imagine the surprise, inside and outside the organization, when Tampa Bay went 13-10-3 in its first 26 games and, two months into the season, looked as if it might be fortunate to compete for a playoff berth, let alone a championship.
But the Lightning has regained its equilibrium, despite regressing a bit in some recent games, and enters tonight's game against the Penguins at 7:08 at Amalie Arena tied with them for fourth place in the overall standings, although the Penguins have a game-in-hand.
There's no secret formula that allowed Tampa Bay to make that climb, which includes a 5-1 record in its past six games. Just a lineup loaded with exceptional talent.
"They're really dynamic," Matt Murray said. "They have some great players, great scorers and one of the best goalies in the league (Andrei Vasilevskiy). They play hard, and they're playing pretty well right now."
The Lightning, stung by being run out of Round 1 of the playoffs in four games by Columbus last spring, put a renewed emphasis on team defense heading into this season, and getting the players accustomed to -- and comfortable with -- that seemed to take some time. Coach Jon Cooper also noted after his team's optional game-day skate that there were early-season problems with taking needless penalties, compounded by a lackluster penalty-kill, and significant issues with puck management.
"When we're turning pucks over at the alarming rate that we were earlier in the year, it's just feeds other team's transition, so we've really tried to reel that in," he said. "And they have. Has it been perfect? No. But significant improvement, and it's really, really helped our game."
Tampa Bay won the previous meeting between these teams, 3-2 here on Oct. 23, but that game won't necessarily provide a template for what happens this evening. And even though they haven't seen the Penguins in about 3 1/2 months, Lightning players and coaches are aware of what the Penguins have accomplished this season under less-than-ideal circumstances.
"If you look at the trajectory of the two teams since we last played, we've kind of gone in the same direction," Cooper said. "We haven't had to deal with the injuries that they've had to deal with, so you have to commend them for how they've hung in the fight for so long. We're going to see a pretty good team tonight."
So will the Penguins, who realize the havoc guys like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman, among others, can create.
"They're fast and they can make plays, and they have one of the best goalies in the league," Bryan Rust said. "Against a team like that you have to be extra disciplined."
Especially with the way Tampa Bay has performed since escaping its early-season funk.
"We've gotten better, in so many different areas," Cooper said. "As a group, we've improved. Is it a coincidence that winning has followed us a little bit? Probably not."
• Hedman, on the Penguins: "They've had a great season. They obviously have two world-class goalies right now, with Murray and Tristan (Jarry). Sid (Crosby) is back and (Evgeni Malkin) is playing at a high level. (Kris) Letang quarterbacks on the back end. They're a complete team. We're looking forward to a great matchup."
• Kucherov, the defending NHL scoring champion, will appear in his 500th NHL regular-season game tonight. Seventeen of those have involved the Penguins, against whom he has six goals and 14 assists. "It's always fun to play against those guys," he said today.
• The Penguins, as usual, did not hold a game-day skate, but here are their personnel combinations from Wednesday's practice:
Jared McCann-Sidney Crosby-Dominik Simon
Bryan Rust-Evgeni Malkin-Patric Hornqvist
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Brandon Tanev
Alex Galchenyuk-Sam Lafferty-Anthony Angello
Jack Johnson-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
Chad Ruhwedel-Justin Schultz
The extras were forward Andrew Agozzino and defenseman Juuso Riikola.
• Mike Sullivan is scheduled to speak with reporters around 5 p.m.
To continue reading, log into your account:
