The Tampa Bay Lightning opened the new season with a mess in New York, and it showed up on the scoreboard in a hurry. The Rangers came out flying and rolled to a 5-1 win, capped by Igor Shesterkin scoring an empty-net goalie goal in the blowout. Not exactly the kind of night the Bolts were hoping for to start things off.
There were a few bright spots for the New York side, too, especially after their 3-0 loss to Boston earlier in the week. The mood around the Rangers has clearly shifted in a better direction after that rough opener.
For Tampa Bay, Victor Hedman’s return is one of the bigger storylines early in the season. He’s back after his leave of absence in March, and he looks leaner and ready to go.
Last year was a frustrating one for the Lightning captain, marked by injuries and a season that never quite matched his usual standard. Hedman says he’s feeling excited and energized as this season gets underway.
His role could look a little different than it has in previous years, though, as the Lightning begin sorting out how they want to use him.
There are also a few things Tampa Bay would like to clean up quickly after the opener. Face-offs were a disaster, with the Lightning winning just 22 of 57 draws, or 38.6%.
The penalty kill gave up a goal on New York’s first power-play shot, and the bottom six - Girgensons, Viel, Harkins, Mikheyev, Goncalves and Geekie - combined for only two shots on goal. That’s not nearly enough from the supporting cast, and it’ll be worth watching when the Lightning host Washington on Saturday night.
On the prospect front, Jack Pridham is already getting attention before he’s even settled into college hockey. The Athletic ranked the Lightning’s Jack Pridham 34th among the top freshmen heading into the season as he starts at the University of Denver.
The Lightning also made a point of giving back as the regular season began. Along with Benchmark International, the team awarded $25,000 to 12 local nonprofit organizations through its “Strikes of Kindness” initiative. The $300,000 donation was one of the largest single-day donations in Tampa Bay Lightning history.
Around the league, Gary Bettman is already signaling a potential future fight even though the NHL’s current CBA just started a few weeks ago and runs through 2030. He’s taking issue with how trade protection is being used, especially after big names like Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski and Brady Tkachuk have used it recently in ways he doesn’t like. Bettman believes that’s not what the protection was meant for.
Larkin remains in the news as well. He’s sticking with his trade request out of Detroit, but he’ll miss the first several games for the Red Wings after sitting out the preseason with an upper-body injury. Todd McClellan is hoping to have him back by game three.
And then there’s Anaheim, where the cap numbers keep getting stranger. The Ducks signed 22-year-old defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year, $43.2 million deal with a $7.2 million cap hit.
That’s a huge number for a player with just 14 NHL games over the last three years, along with two goals and two assists. He played one game last season and scored a goal in Anaheim’s final regular-season game.
In Other News...
Cooper Sends Lightning An Early Warning They Can't Ignore
Jon Cooper did not sound interested in softening the edges after Tampa Bays season opener, even with some underlying numbers that suggested the Lightning werent as far off as the score indicated. Instead, the veteran coach focused on the bigger problem after a 5-1 loss to the Rangers, saying the effort was not where it needed to be and tying the performance to the kind of letdown the franchise has tried to move past.
For a team that has spent the past several seasons measuring itself by how it responds to disappointment, the opening night result carried an immediate edge. The Lightning are already 0-1-0, and with Washington next on the schedule, the early test is less about the standings than whether Tampa Bay can show the urgency Cooper wants before the season starts to tilt into a familiar concern. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Need Pontus Holmberg To Fix A Line They Missed Badly
Pontus Holmbergs absence last spring was felt well beyond the box score. The Lightning lost a useful two-way presence on April 6 when he went down with a season-ending collarbone fracture, and the ripple effect showed up in Tampa Bays performance and playoff run from there. He has since recovered and rejoined the team, giving the coaching staff a versatile forward back in the mix as camp and lineup decisions take shape.
Holmberg is being asked to settle into a new role now, skating on a line with Jeff Viel and Zemgus Girgensons while also seeing time with the second power-play unit. For a Lightning team that missed his steadiness badly after the injury, the challenge now is less about what happened last spring and more about how quickly he can help restore a line the club never really replaced. [Read more 🡒]
Igor Shesterkin Just Delivered A Rangers Moment Fans Wont Forget
Igor Shesterkin gave the Rangers a night they are not likely to forget, and Tampa Bay was on the wrong end of the highlight. The New York goaltender not only handled his usual duties in net, but he also became the first goalie in Rangers history to score a goal, sending the puck into the open net late in a game against the Lightning.
Shesterkins unusual contribution came in a performance that was steady from start to finish, as he stopped 24 shots while the Rangers rolled to a 5-1 win. For Tampa Bay, it was the kind of final frame that turned an already difficult night into one with a spot in the record book, even if the outcome had been settled well before the final horn. [Read more 🡒]