This past week, fans that enjoyed the annihilation of the Montreal Canadians at Amalie Arena were invited to take part in a ticket redemption deal. All fans that were at the first game of the back-to-back contests were offered a ten dollar ticket deal to come back the following night. The following morning the team was saying all the right things; ‘they felt rested’, ‘ready for the challenge’ etc. etc. but anyone in attendance wondered where was the team who just the night before handed the Canadiens their first defeat of the season. The game was a mix of moments of greatness, including some spectacular saves from back-up netminder Evgeni Nabokov, errant passes and sloppy line changes.
Playing on back-to-back nights is not something new in the NHL and the players are well aware of the mental and physical challenges that go along with it. It is something no NFL player can even begin to imagine. The Tampa Bay Lightning will play 12 back-to-back games this 2014-2015 NHL season.
| Team | 2014-15 Miles | 2014-15 B-to-B | 2013-14 Miles | 2013-14 B-to-B | 2011-12 Miles | 2011-12 B-to-B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Coyotes | 49,818 | 13 | 52,633 | 12 | 49,192 | 13 |
| Dallas Stars | 48,216 | 12 | 46,660 | 13 | 49,622 | 14 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 46,967 | 13 | 48,568 | 14 | 50,296 | 13 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 45,597 | 11 | 45,192 | 12 | 50,006 | 12 |
| San Jose Sharks | 45,318 | 11 | 57,612 | 10 | 43,994 | 14 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 45,173 | 12 | 48,510 | 17 | 46,826 | 11 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 44,167 | 12 | 49,007 | 10 | 48,945 | 10 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 44,100 | 9 | 48,432 | 14 | 55,591 | 15 |
| Florida Panthers | 42,786 | 12 | 45,136 | 14 | 52,751 | 14 |
| Nashville Predators | 42,096 | 11 | 39,810 | 15 | 39,534 | 11 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 42,027 | 9 | 46,477 | 10 | 44,627 | 13 |
| Minnesota Wild | 41,178 | 13 | 44,273 | 13 | 42,860 | 11 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 40,800 | 16 | 38,879 | 20 | 38,114 | 16 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 40,074 | 15 | 38,680 | 18 | 39,288 | 17 |
| St. Louis Blues | 38,965 | 14 | 39,328 | 13 | 38,781 | 17 |
| Boston Bruins | 38,938 | 16 | 42,389 | 17 | 33,770 | 13 |
| Calgary Flames | 38,874 | 10 | 48,970 | 12 | 49,104 | 10 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 37,221 | 12 | 43,102 | 12 | 43,717 | 10 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 37,135 | 16 | 39,327 | 17 | 39,174 | 13 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 37,022 | 19 | 34,812 | 13 | 35,911 | 21 |
| Washington Capitals | 36,487 | 16 | 36,250 | 17 | 37,969 | 13 |
| New York Rangers | 36,113 | 13 | 29,839 | 13 | 36,385 | 14 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 35,139 | 19 | 36,597 | 17 | 42,831 | 16 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 34,179 | 12 | 35,324 | 15 | 42,865 | 14 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 34,020 | 18 | 35,975 | 16 | 32,239 | 17 |
| New Jersey Devils | 33,597 | 18 | 33,151 | 22 | 28,597 | 15 |
| Ottawa Senators | 33,421 | 13 | 34,850 | 16 | 33,915 | 17 |
| New York Islanders | 33,214 | 16 | 29,933 | 18 | 32,410 | 13 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 32,444 | 17 | 37,061 | 17 | 33,439 | 15 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 31,272 | 14 | 34,929 | 14 | 34,193 | 13 |
| Source: Hockey Gear HQ | ||||||
The team with the most back-to-back contests is the Columbus Blue Jackets with 19, probably due to their proximity to countless teams in the northeast; Detroit, Toronto and New York makes it an easy travel day for any team making that tour.
Playing in games night after night exposes areas of teams lineups that most GM’s would probably like to keep hidden. Questions arise such as how in shape are the veterans who often are the leaders of the team? Is the back-up goalie just an emergency option or is he really someone who can win a game when called upon? Are the power play and penalty kill units up to the overtime involved in night after night play?
The Bolts will play two more back-to-back contests on this road trip, facing Edmonton and Calgary Monday and Tuesday and then Winnipeg and Minnesota on Friday and Saturday. It could be a blessing for this Lightning squad to get three of the back-to-backs out of the way this early in the schedule.
Many of the pundits have predicted a long season for the Lightning, with a run deep into the playoffs. The early test of stamina for this young Bolts team will serve them well later on.
Goaltending for the Lightning does not seem to be in question. Nabokov, despite recording the loss against the Devils, kept the Lightning in the game making several highlight reel saves.
The rest of the skaters will be counted on to pick up the slack over the upcoming road trip. The defense missed several easy clearing passes against the Devils and the forwards had several shots that missed the net. The missed opportunities will have to be minimized if the Bolts are going to be successful and bring home four points in the back-to-back contests.
The time change on the western swing coupled with several night after night games make this long trip even more challenging. The first game is Saturday night in Vancouver, which arguably will be the most competitive team Tampa Bay will face on this trip. If you include two back-to-backs and consider the many travel miles that will be logged, this two weeks will be a real test of the Lightning’s durability and grit.
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