In addition, 0 penalty minutes across the board for all 4 of the blue jackets
production guys. Those 4 players outscored Tampa Bay 16:4 in the series.
Obviously those numbers had to be a big disappointment to the Tampa Bay
Lightning who needed better production from their top 4 players, but you
have to give credit to Columbus for being able to shut down Tampa’s top
players.
Going forward, the team to win the Cup will need consistent, solid
goaltending and will need consistent production from their top 2 lines, and
the occasional 3rd/4th line forward to throw in a few goals per series.
As well, as the series get into the later games (5th-7th game), teams need
to be able to trust their 3rd and 4th line to provide quality minutes when
asked upon.
While they may not be asked to score, they serve a valuable purpose in
eating some minutes that will allow the top players to catch their breath
and have that extra energy in the tank when needed.
Most importantly, they need to be an asset instead of a liability; If they can
keep themselves at an even or slightly above 0 +/-, it is worth it playing
Here are the scenarios that ultimately lead to the Lightning
being shut down:
1) Adversity- the Lightning really didn’t face any major adversity
throughout the course of the season, and never really had to deal
with being outplayed on a consistent basis. Following the comeback
in the first game, Columbus took hold of the momentum and
never really let it go. Both teams finished the season with a
7-3 record in their last 10 games, but for Columbus, those
were pressure-filled games, with playoff hopes riding on those
10 games outcomes. Tampa on the other hand, had little to no
pressure in those last 10 games.
2) Goaltending- Bobrovsky outplayed Vasilevskiy, and it wasn’t even
close. Both are elite, Vezina-worthy goaltenders. Vasi had his struggles,
but ultimately it comes down to
team effort. On the other hand,
Bobrovsky made the big saves
when called upon, and stood tall
throughout the series.
Yes, Vasi didn’t get the support he
needed, but when you are
outscored 19-8 that’s a lot for any goaltender to overcome.
3) Top-Line Production- Tampa Bay’s top 4 contributors
(Stamkos, Hedmen, Kucherov, Point) did not produce in the playoffs
like they did in the regular season. Here are their stats below:
-Stamkos: 4GP, 1G, 1A, -8 +/-, and 46% in face-offs.
-Kucherov: 3GP, 0G, 2A, 19 Penalty Minutes.
-Point: 4GP, 1G, -5
-Hedman: 2GP, -2, 10 Penalty Minutes.
On the other hand, here are the 1st Round Stats for
Columbus’ top 4 contributors in the regular season:
-Panarin: 4GP, 2G, 3A.
-Atkinson: 4GP, 2G, 2A.
-Dubois: 4GP, 1G, 2A
-Jones: 4GP, 2G, 2A
them.
r GP,GP,P,WWW.FLORIDAHOCKEYLIFE.COM 7
/WWW.FLORIDAHOCKEYLIFE.COM