Tampa Bay Lightning defense has been a big part of the high-scoring offense

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
November 20, 2017

BRANDON – The Lightning blue line knows how to hang out in the red light district on the ice.

One-quarter of the way in to the season, Tampa Bay’s defense has proven to be a big part of the highest scoring team in the league. That’s a far cry from last year when the offense from the defense pretty meant Victor Hedman. See chart below

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Hedman, a Norris Trophy finalist last season, set career highs with 16 goals, 56 assists and 72 points. The rest of the defensive core combined for 17 goals, 67 assists and 84 points among eight other defensemen. The gap from Hedman’s 72 points to the next closest on the team – Anton Stralman – was 50 points.

Twenty games in to this season, Hedman barely holds the lead for points among the Lightning defense. All of this as Tampa Bay is tied for second in the league in points from the blue line

The Lightning entered Monday tied for the most with Toronto at 53, but an offensive outburst from Nashville against Winnipeg Monday night pushed the Predators’ blue line past both of them.

No matter where Tampa Bay sits in that ranking, every contribution is exactly as the team wants it to be.

”Since we’ve been here we’ve always wanted our D involved in the offense. The league today is a four-man attack, so you need that D up,’’ Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness said.

The Lightning defense certainly has been up in the play, pinching in along the walls and active down low in the offensive zone. It’s by design, of course, as the coaching staff wants the defensemen to join the rush, pinching in along the wall to keep the puck in the offensive zone as much as possible and, on occasion, being deep in the zone on the forecheck.

”I think the main point is we want to include everyone on the offense,’’ Hedman said. “The forwards are doing a good job getting all of us involved. We’re doing a good job reading the situation of when to jump in and when not too. It’s a fine line, but I think having five guys joining the rush is a good threat to have.’’

Tampa Bay has been able to take advantage of the high-pressure game the coaching staff has instilled within the system this season. The forwards are right on the puck, the defensemen maintain a good gap and the result can be forced turnovers to keep the puck inside the red line, which in turn creates more offensive chances.

”It’s an effort from all five guys on the ice,’’ Stralman said. “Most of the games I think our forwards were doing a great job as soon as we lose the puck to put pressure on, win a lot of pucks high up in the ice and that makes it easier to defend cause then you don’t have to be in your zone too much, when the puck’s down low and you have to break it out you can win it high up and go right back into to the offense. I think we kill a lot of defensive time on the offense, if that makes any sense.’’

Actually, Anton, it makes perfect sense. The best defense is a good offense, especially when the defense is adding to the offense.

But there has to be a trust between the defense and the forwards to make it work. If a defenseman opts to make a play to get up ice, he has to trust there is a forward reading that who can cover his back. And the defenseman has to make sure he reads the play well to know that there is a forward capable of covering on the back end.

It requires everyone to be on the same page as much as possible.

”We have rules in place,’’ Bowness said. “It’s not an automatic pinch for sure. We want to make sure there is a forward there and when we do go down and pinch we make sure we get the puck or the man. That third option is not a good option. We keep the focus on getting the puck or the man, but most importantly the forward has to be there.

“For the most part, other than our last game against the Islanders when we gave up way too many odd-mans, but for the most part it’s been working pretty good. You build the trust with practices. You build the trust with video. You build the trust with repetition, hammering it home.’’

The addition of Mikhail Sergachev, who leads the team with five goals and is second behind Hedman with 14 points, has certainly helped add to the offensive numbers. But it’s been a full-team effort as seven of the eight defensemen to dress have recorded at least four points on the season and five have recorded at least two goals.

”I think overall, getting everyone involved’’ is big,’’ Hedman said. “Five on five offense, you need more offense from your defenseman. It doesn’t really have to be the perfect shot every time, it’s just about getting puck to where our forwards can score and create opportunities. We got to keep that rolling. It’s been part of our success so far. We can’t slow down. We have to try and improve on it.’’

Imagine the impact the defense will have on the offense when that happens.

LIGHTNING DEFENSIVE SCORING (through 20 games)

Victor Hedman – 2-13-15

Mikhail Sergachev – 5-9-14

Anton Stralman – 2-4-6

Slater Koekkoek – 3-2-5

Braydon Coburn – 0-5-5

Jake Dotchin – 2-2-4

Dan Girardi – 0-4-4

Andrej Sustr – 0-0-0

NHL RANKINGS OF DEFENSIVE SCORING TOP FIVE (through games of Nov. 19)

Tampa Bay – 53 points

Toronto – 53 points

Nashville – 51 points

St. Louis – 48 points

New York Islanders – 47 points

Goals by team defensemen

St. Louis – 21 goals

Nashville – 17 goals

Ottawa – 14 goals

Tampa Bay – 14 goals

Columbus – 13 goals

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