There are many things to love about the Lightning’s season opening three game road trip. The team is coming home with a 2-1-0 record, one of those wins being against defending champion Chicago and goalie Ben Bishop has played admirably between the pipes. But, there is something much more subtle at work that provides a glimpse into Steve Yzerman’s vision for this team…puck support. (Photo/Susan Ferlita)
How many goals against last season came off of seemingly innocuous plays? The opposing team would carry the puck in and fire a shot, but it would either find its way through or pop out for a tap-in rebound goal. Many of those goals were hardly the fault of the goaltender, but it certainly makes them look bad. The difference now is that the Lightning players are applying pressure and not allowing these plays to happen. When they have control of the puck, another player is always nearby to allow for a quick outlet pass. This has helped the turnover problem, another major contributor to goals against last year.
Valtteri Filppula deserves a shout out in this regard. Yzerman said all along that Filppula would not replace Vincent Lecavalier’s production, but would be a better two-way player. If there is one player on this team that plays every inch of the 200 foot long ice surface, it’s Filppula. Though not a big man, he has been unafraid to get into the corners at both ends and has shown a deft touch with his clearing passes.
It’s still early in the season, so there’s no need to get too worked up about the team’s early successes. That being said, the commitment to team defense is obvious and will be a large part of the team’s success (or failure) this season.
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