Their playoff-opening loss to the Panthers certainly stung, but the Lightning regrouped Wednesday morning knowing that even the best postseason runs are not perfect. What’s more important is how teams adjust to those losses to make sure they don’t snowball.
“The sun came out this morning, and I don’t think anyone here expected us to win in four (games), so there is a lot of hockey left,” forward Brandon Hagel said. “It was one game.”
There was a lot to correct from Tuesday’s 6-2 loss. Despite playing at home, the Lightning struggled to match the Panthers’ intensity and physicality. Their execution lacked in areas in which they flourished during the regular season.
But head coach Jon Cooper’s best teams have done an outstanding job of rebounding, and even though personnel has changed over the years the mentality has not.
“The one thing you do get to kind of rely on a little bit is history,” Cooper said Wednesday. “And you know, our players have dug in, and they’re pretty receptive to what has not worked well and mistakes we’ve made and then correcting them. And I think anytime you have a team that can self-correct immediately is a good sign.
“(There’s) a lot of committed guys in there, and ultimately the Panthers made their own breaks and capitalized on them. I think we probably helped out in some of those situations. But all in all, it wasn’t a situation where I thought we got leaned on, I guess. If that’s the case, and we clean up some of that stuff, which we’ve been good in the past, hopefully we could turn the table here.”
The Lightning’s response in Game 2 will tell us a lot about whether they have the mettle for another deep run or could be headed toward a third straight opening-round exit.
Get more physical
Of all the ways the Lightning remade themselves this season, one that maybe went overlooked was their physicality. They no longer have the enforcers or agitators of yesteryear. Pat Maroon isn’t around to monitor the red line and stare down the other team during warmups. Corey Perry isn’t there to goad an opposing player into a cross check.
It was clear early on that the Panthers wanted to flex their muscle, as evidenced by the way Matthew Tkachuk went after Nikita Kucherov 10 minutes into the game. The Lightning didn’t like it and let the Panthers know, but they didn’t do much more about it from there. They seemed to back down from that challenge.
The Lightning will defend their teammates, but they don’t have many enforcer types. Defenseman Emil Lilleberg is the exception, but he struggled enough with his own game Tuesday, committing a turnover that led to Florida’s first second-period goal, then being penalized for interference in the defensive zone, prompting a power play that would lead to another score.
Still, if there’s someone who can send a message early in Game 2, it’s Lilleberg. And it might be as good for his game as anything else.
“I think that we kind of gave away the game, and my (game) personally was not good,” Lilleberg said. “So, I have to be better. I have to play more physical.”
The puck-possession game in this series will be won along the boards and in the corners, and over the years the Lightning not only won those battles, they let the opponent know they’d pay a price for playing in those areas of the ice. They didn’t play that way in Game 1 and frankly seemed surprised the Panthers were willing to go hard into checks.
“You’re not going to chase physicality,” Hagel said. “Hitting is a part of the game, but at the same time you have to do it smart.”
Keep faith in penalty kill
The status of center Anthony Cirelli, who exited early in the second period before Florida scored three times in a 5:03 span, looms large entering Game 2. Not only does Cirelli anchor the line that draws the toughest defensive assignment, he’s the heartbeat of a penalty kill that allowed three goals in Game 1.
“Tony has been a massive part of our team the entire year,” Hagel said. “Losing a guy like Tony, obviously, it’s not just a little piece. He’s a massive piece of this team and depended on in so many different areas, so it’s definitely gonna take an effect.”
During Wednesday’s off-day availability, Hagel took the blame for Florida’s first power-play goal (which put the Panthers up 4-1), when Tkachuk was left uncovered in front of the Lightning net.
“We have a ton of faith in it,” Hagel said of the PK, which ranked sixth in the league during the regular season. “We’ve been doing it all year. … One of those nights that just didn’t go our way. It’s not like anyone in the room is like, ‘Oh, we’re worried about that part,’ because we’ve been so successful at it all year. There’s obviously things that we can change, but at same time it’s little details.”
Stay mentally, physically fresh
The Lightning were scheduled to practice Wednesday at Amalie Arena, but Cooper scrapped the workout. Players reported for meetings, but skating was optional and informal.
There’s been no later local start to a game this season than Tuesday’s 8:50 puck drop, and when the Lightning fell behind early the arena emptied quickly. Because the game ended around 11:30 p.m., it was agreed that skating Wednesday wasn’t the best use of the day. Instead, the Lightning will have a full morning skate Thursday one hour earlier than usual due to the 6:30 start for Game 2.
“It doesn’t make very much of a productive day in that regard,” Cooper said. “It’s one of the things about what teams have to deal with in playoff hockey. … That’s where you have to kind of get a feel for energy level and how that’s going to work moving forward in games.”
Panthers 1, Lightning 0
EASTERN CONFERENCE, FIRST ROUND
Game 1:Panthers 6, Lightning 2
Thursday: at Amalie Arena, 6:30, FanDuel Sports Sun, TBS, truTV
Saturday: at Sunrise, 1, FanDuel Sports Sun, TBS, truTV
Monday: at Sunrise, 7, FanDuel Sports Sun, ESPN
April 30: at Amalie Arena, TBD*
May 2: at Sunrise, TBD*
May 4:at Amalie Arena, TBD*
*if necessary
• • •
Conclusion
The Tampa Bay Lightning face a tough challenge after their playoff-opening loss to the Panthers. It’s crucial for them to make adjustments and come back stronger in Game 2 to avoid a potential early exit.
FAQs
Q: What can the Lightning do to improve for Game 2?
A: The Lightning need to be more physical, have faith in their penalty kill, and stay mentally and physically fresh.
