Will The Tampa Bay Lightning Stay a Playoff Crew?
NHL Community: Final week on NHL Community, Tony Luftman and Bruce Boudreau mentioned the 2 divisions within the Japanese Convention. They moved to the Atlantic Division, and Boudreau was requested which staff can be probably the most stunning this season. He mentioned the Tampa Bay Lightning.
** NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Tony Luftman: “So coach your staff most certainly to shock. These Lightning, Why?”
Bruce Boudreau: “ what I simply suppose that they didn’t, you recognize, they, all people talks about dropping Stamkos and all the pieces, and I get it, nice participant unimaginable historical past. However you add Jake Guentzel. I feel it’s a wash.
And folks say, Nicely, what concerning the energy play? And I’m taking a look at it proper now, and I’m going, Okay, you bought Kucherov on the suitable hash mark. Why don’t we transfer Brayden Level, who was nice within the center, however so Jake Guentzel, let’s put him within the buffer place and put Level on that on the opposite half wall. So now Guentzel turns into the shooter a bit bit extra.
And from that facet the place I feel, will probably be simply pretty much as good, and the remainder of the ability play stays the identical. And I feel he’s a greater five-on-five participant than Steve is and I imply, once I look, they lose Sergachev and though Ryan McDonagh is a pair years older than once they final had him, I nonetheless suppose he’s actually strong, strong defenseman.
And, I imply, who is aware of if Cam Atkinson has something left within the tank? Then he’s a superb addition to. Plus I imply, you recognize, I imply, Vasilevskiy is attending to the age the place he’s going to say, hey, this has acquired to be, I acquired to get again utterly to type. And if he does, you bought the good goaltender you bought.
And the one factor we didn’t speak about within the when the manufacturing room was I feel they acquired the most effective coach, I’m fairly positive they acquired the most effective coach, longest tenured, in Jon Cooper. And I don’t suppose he’ll enable them to lose. He’s by no means had a dropping yr. Even within the final yr within the American League, he received the Calder Cup going away, after which he simply continued to do it proper by means of the NHL.
So, I imply, I feel you add all these issues, and all people is saying, Oh, they’re getting outdated. They’re getting outdated. They’re going to be executed. They’ve been saying it for 2 years now. I don’t suppose they’re executed. I feel they’re going to be proper there. I feel they’re going to be higher than they had been final yr.”