Monday Morning Faceoff: Preseason impressions, top six forwards

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
October 2, 2017

Welcome to the 2017-18 Tampa Bay Lightning season.

With the start of a new season comes the launch of new weekly content here at Lightning Insider that will feature Erik Erlendsson and Greg Linnelli, who hosts Lightning Power Play Live weekdays from 6-7 p.m. and one hour prioer to puck drop on game days on TBLPowerplay.com as well as intermission host during radio broadcasts. We will also bring in special guests on a regular basis to debate topical items surrounding the Tampa Bay Lightning and around the NHL as we exchange our thoughts in a back-and-forth format that will appear every Monday morning, a new addition that we like to call the Monday Morning Faceoff.

This week Erik and Greg take a look back at impressions from training camp, who looks ready to get things started and some thoughts on who should be in the Lightning top six forward group when the seasons opens on Friday at home against the Florida Panthers.

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Erik: Well Greg, the preseason is now over and Tampa Bay closed things out with a 3-4 record, with three of those losses coming against the team they face in back-to-back games to open the season, the Florida Panthers.

Overall I’d say the preseason was very fitting of their schedule, sort of just– eh. Some things to like, some things that need to be cleaned up. But the one thing that I took out of it was how the Lightning sort of built up their game over the past week of the preseason, which featured many of the regulars in the lineup together for the first time. It started off a little slow on Tuesday in Florida, but in the final two games, you could start to see some flow come back to their game, some urgency showed up and it showed in their style of play.

Perhaps the biggest thing to take out of the past week was the power play, in particular what we assume is going to be the first unit that features Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov as the biggest threats. And we already saw that because teams have to respect those three, it opened up the middle of the ice for Alex Killorn, who notched three power play goals in two games.

While special teams always play a factor in games, I think this is a good sign for Tampa Bay especially early in the season when the crackdown on slashing and the faceoff violations will still be called and the players adjust to the new standards. If the Lightning power play is clicking early in the season, it could help fuel the quick start Tampa Bay really wants to see.

What did you take out of the team’s preseason play?

Greg: You make some good points Erik. The biggest thing I took from preseason was the decision to play Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov on the same power play. It may seem simple but they are your two best offensive players. Especially with the loss of Drouin, the PP needs to be very good this year. Having Stamkos and Kucherov play at a high level on the PP is imperative. That’s what they did in the preseason.

A couple of other observations I took from preseason. Andrei Vasilevskiy was very good. Time will tell what type of year he has but all signs point to him being a difference maker. And that will be huge particularly when you factor in the growing pains the Bolts young defensemen may experience early on.

Lastly, I’m anxious to see how well Tyler Johnson performs this year. I’ve been saying this on my show over on Lightning Power Play that Johnson could be the difference in this team being a good or very good offensive team. Who he plays with might determine what type of season he has but I certainly will be watching his play closely this season.

Erik: Great point on Vasilevskiy, he looked in top form and that should help to answer any questions there may be regarding whether or not he’s ready to take over the No. 1 role on this team. Of course, I’m not really sure why there are any questions surrounding Vasilevskiy being the starter this year. We are talking about a 23-year-old drafted in the first round who has started in the Stanley Cup Final, the Eastern Conference final and led his nation to a gold medal at the World Championships. Not too many goaltenders can boast that on their playing resume before being a No. 1 goaltender. I think the Tampa Bay net is in good hands with the talented goaltender.

You mention Tyler Johnson, and that brings me to a poll question you asked late last week on Twitter regarding where Brayden Point should play – on the top line with Steven Stamkos/Nikita Kucherov, with Tyler Johnson/Ondrej Palat or at third line center. And my immediate thought on that was, you may have left out another option – second line center. Of course, head coach Jon Cooper went out and presented that option in the final preseason game at Nashville, putting Point at center on the supposed second line with Yanni Gourde and Palat. I don’t wonder if that’s exactly where he will end up because somebody once suggested to me that the Lightning are a better team when Tyler Johnson is the third line center. Combine that thought with Brayden Point playing his best hockey at the center position last year and you start to wonder if the lines we saw in the preseason finale will be the lines to open the season on Friday, with Point slotted in a second-line center role.

Greg: I guess the way I look at Johnson and Point is pretty simple. They both are top six forwards on this team. And if that’s the case they need to be getting top six minutes. Now, that being said, there is no doubt the coaching staff believes Point is more effective at center than wing. However, Johnson is being paid like a top six forward and because of that needs to put up numbers. He has a better chance doing that with Palat and Point than he does Killorn and Callahan. In a salary cap era, you need guys who make decent money to produce.

Killorn looks like a guy who should score 25 goals a year. For whatever reason he doesn’t. Callahan is coming off two hip surgeries. At this point what are reasonable numbers for him to put up? My belief was that with Johnson playing with Point and Palat you had/have the opportunity for all three of those guys to get anywhere between 60-65 points. Maybe even more. Time will well but I wonder if those lines will stick together for the long run. With NHL coaches you just never know.

Erik: I see your Point, but sometimes coaches have to ignore salaries and go with what is the best fit for the team. Having said that, I agree with you that Tyler Johnson is a top-six on this team, his contract does equate to being a core member of this team and he’ll be put in positions to perform like one.

Changing gears for one last subject, with the regular season kicking off on Friday with back-to-back games against the Florida Panthers, I think Tampa Bay needs to send a message with a strong showing this weekend. There were some concerns during the preseason regarding the three losses to Florida that the Lightning look like a team primed to get off to slow start. The Panthers want to set a tone, having missed the playoffs last year as well and now with Bob Boughner as the head coach. For my part, I’d like to see Tampa Bay come out and show to many that those preseason games against the Panthers – a team they’ve had some struggles with recently – were just a mirage. The Lightning have talked about getting a good start, and there’d be no better way than setting a tone of their own with the weekend set of games.

Greg: I agree with that assessment and even take it a step further knowing you have Washington and Pittsburgh lurking in the background as well. Because of the slow start last year the Lightning know that’s one of the reasons they didn’t make the playoffs. Florida, while top heavy with talent, is not as deep as the Bolts. Especially Friday night, if they can get two points, that sets the tone for Saturday’s game.

I thought they had one of their best preseason games Saturday against the Predators. They can build off of that moving forward. I expect a good performance in front of the home crowd. Last year was a fluke. Now it’s time to get back to business.

Erik: That we can definitely agree on. And I think I speak for both of us in saying it’s Game On. I know you’ll get everyone set with Lightning Power Play Live all week before it’s time to drop the puck for real!

Greg: Agree completely with that statement. Of course you will be on my show later in the week breaking down the season opener and the roster in general. It’s must listen radio when I have you own and I suggest people tune in. If they don’t you’ll have to play some Homer Simpson GIF’s!

Erik: D’oh!

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