Monday Morning Faceoff: Stanley Cup comparisons, road woes and who won the Duchene trade

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
November 6, 2017

Welcome back to the Monday Morning Faceoff a weekly debate here on LightningInsider.com.

This weekly feature brings together Erik Erlendsson, creator of LightningInsider.com, and Greg Linnelli, who hosts Lightning Power Play Live weekdays from 6-7 p.m. or one hour prior to puck drop on game days on TBLPowerplay.com as well as intermission host during radio broadcasts. We will also like to 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 exchange that will appear every Monday morning.

This week WDAE 620-AM producer, reporter and weekend host Jay Recher joins Erik and Greg to discuss if we can compare this year’s team compares to the 2004 team, if Tampa Bay is built to win on the road and who won the blockbuster deal involving Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris in a three-way deal between Ottawa, Nashville and Colorado.

And make sure you catch Jay Sunday mornings on 620-AM as well as producing the J.P.
Peterson and Ron Diaz show from 12-3 p.m. weekdays.

{mprestriction ids=”1,2″}

Erik: Tampa Bay continues to roll along, 12-2-2 after Saturday’s win against Columbus, the second victory this season against the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference standings. The Lightning are off to the best start in franchise history, and set that mark with the greatest team in franchise history watching from the stands as the 2004 Stanley Cup team was honored prior to Saturday’s game.

And Greg, you asked me this question during Power Play Live prior to Saturday’s game if the two teams were comparable. I believe both teams were built differently but I do feel both teams are built well for the era in which they are in. That 2004 team had top end skill on the top two lines, had the checking line and the grind line. On the back end, they had the size (outside of Dan Boyle) needed at that time.

I think this team with the speed, skill and hockey IQ is built for today’s game that stresses the ability to be able to skate and think the game. Other than the confidence they have in their goaltending – both of them Russian – I don’t think you can look at this year’s team and say there are a lot of similarities between the teams.

Greg, any similarities for you?

Greg: I think on a macro level when we compare these two teams the thing that sticks out are the star players. We can debate who has better depth up and down the lineup but ultimately this game is won by stars. This current team has a goaltender who is on the verge of doing great things. They have Stamkos, Kucherov, and Hedman which could be comparable to Marty, Vinny, and Boyle.

Each team will be judged differently but from a big picture point of view I think the similarity between the two teams is star power.

Jay: I agree with you Greg about the star players, I also think guys like Callahan, Kunitz and Girardi bring some of that same veteran leadership and experience that guys like Andreychuk and Tim Taylor brought.

The other thing that stands out to me is the similarity of the coaches. Two hard-nosed guys that preach work ethic, being strong on the puck and at times can be abrasive with the team and media.

Erik: One thing that 2004 team did well – well, to be honest, they actually did a lot of things well – was win games on the road, setting the franchise for road wins in a season with 22 (also tied in 2006-07). For the most part this season, Tampa Bay has enjoyed the comforts of home in the opening 14 games of the season with nine of the 16 games so far played at Amalie Arena. On top of that, two of the six road games have been down the road at Sunrise with a single road game thrown in at Carolina. So, that means the team one month in to the season has only been on one road trip and left the state for just four games to date.

That changes this week as the team heads out West for the California trip, which can be like heading in to the Bermuda Triangle – call it the Golden State Triangle of Death. I think the Lightning can be a team that finds success on the road with how the lines are built, any of them are capable of being matched up any line the opposition wants to throw out there. The defense might be a little more difficult to find favorable matchups, but with the first real big trip of the season – the team will be gone for six days – the Lightning will be tested.

Greg: Let’s keep in mind though this team’s good run this year actually started during the second half of last season. It’s carried over which has been amazing when you think about the parity that runs through the league.

I think defensively is an area where the team can improve. It’s definitely improved this season from last and I think a big reason has been the play of MIkhail Sergachev. He’s the one guy, besides Hedman, who has a high ceiling. He’ll be fun to watch the rest of the way.

Also Budaj will get another opportunity to start. I’d like to see the team play better defensively in front of him.

Jay: I mentioned (on Sunday) on my show that one of the things that worries me about this team is their susceptibility to turnovers. We saw it more on Thursday than on Saturday but, as Cooper said, that game against the Rangers could have been 6-2. The way they transition out of their zone will be a big key on whether they can be successful in their next couple of games.

One thing I’m eager to see on the road trip is the play of the Palat/Point/Gourde line. As much love as the 1st line with Stammer, Kuch and Vladdy get (and deservedly so), I think that 2nd line is their best all around. They play well in all three zones and are absolutely relentless. The Lightning are at their best, like they were a couple years ago, when you have that 2nd line to keep the other teams defense honest. The play of that line prevents the other teams defense from keying in on the Stammer line and that’s vital to the Bolts success..

Erik: Big trade on Sunday in the NHL as the looooooooong anticipated move involving Colorado’s Matt Duchene was finally completed. Duchene heads to Ottawa, Kyle Turris goes from Ottawa to Nashville and immediately signed to a 6-year, $36 million trade while the Avalanche bring in seven assets – D Samuel Girard and LW Vladislav Kamenev plus a second round pick from Nashville while G Andrew Hammond, C Shane Bowers, plus a first and third round pick were acquired from Ottawa.

We don’t see many of these types of trades done in a cap world, but these teams found a way to come together and pull off a blockbuster. My immediate response is Duchene is finally free from the drama while Turris lands in a good spot and finds the contract he was not going to get from the Senators. But to me, the big winner here is Colorado. There are many who believed Joe Sakic was in over his head with this situation and backed himself in to a corner. Instead he brings in quite a haul. Not only three high round draft picks, but Girard was a surprise to make the Predators out of camp on the blue line but stuck and is a highly regarded blue liner. Bowers and Kamenev are also considered strong NHL prospects while Hammond is a good depth goaltender.
While Duchene and Turris are good players and will fit in with their teams – I really like Turris slotting in at second line with the Predators – Colorado wins this trade on first impression. That’s a nice return for Sakic to land for one player..

Greg: I actually like what the Preds and Sens did more. Colorado got a bunch of young players and draft picks but you just never know how that’s going to play out. They certainly are banking on these guys developing but it’s a question mark.

The Preds and Sens are going for it which I can appreciate. Nashville needs more scoring and to complement a deep defensive core. I didn’t think Nick Bonino would be enough to help offensively so Turris is a very important pick up.

The Senators have a lot of good offensive players but Duchene gives them a potential impact player. A change of scenery will be good and the thought of being in the playoffs can motivate a player.

Jay: I like the deal for Colorado and Ottawa but not for Nashville.

Colorado got a whole slew of assets that they can build around guys like Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie. Ottawa, a team this close to making the Final last year, gets a guy who will be playing with something to prove and will fit in much better with Guy Boucher’s system than Turris did.

I’ve just never been a fan of Turris. I know he’s more talented than a guy like Bonino but I don’t think he’s a guy that puts Nashville over the edge. And they just committed 6 mil a year to him. Is he a 6 mil a year player?

Erik: Well, Turris is going to have every opportunity to prove that he’s worth the price, in salary and assets.

And here’s the juicy part of this deal, Duchene immediately joins the Senators as they head over the Atlantic to Sweden for a pair of games against . . . the Colorado Avalanche. Talk about drumming up immediate interest in overseas games!

Thanks Jay for joining us and Greg let’s continue some of this discussion again, in person, this week on Lightning Power Play Live for some Great Hockey Talk™as the Lightning prepare for another three-game week, this time out West starting Wednesday at San Jose, Thursday at Los Angeles and Sunday at Anaheim.

{/mprestriction}