The Lightning may already be back in familiar territory: trying to keep a thin margin on defense from getting any thinner.
That was the big preseason question on a blue line packed with eight NHL-caliber defensemen. It was supposed to be a good problem.
Last season proved how quickly that kind of depth can disappear, with 11 different players logging minutes after injuries piled up. Just two games into this season, the issue has returned.
Emil Lilleberg, who dressed as the extra defenseman in Saturday’s 11-forward, seven-defenseman setup, missed Sunday’s practice at Benchmark International Arena after leaving the Lightning’s 3-1 home-opening win over the Capitals in the third period and not returning. Assistant coach Rob Zettler said Lilleberg was being examined further Sunday, and the team expected to know more about his status Monday morning before the home game against the Flyers.
Lilleberg sat out Thursday’s season-opening loss in New York, then gave Tampa Bay a jolt against Washington. His night included a fight with Capitals defenseman Vincent Desharnais late in the second period, and Zettler said the rookie’s edge showed up everywhere.
“I thought Lilly really kind of dragged everybody into the fight a little bit,” Zettler said. “I mean, he literally dragged somebody into a fight, but I just thought he was really physical and skated, and he was a good addition for us last night. I thought he brought some energy into the game.”
Before leaving, Lilleberg had already helped shape the game. He set up Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ opening goal, and the two also combined in the defensive zone to get the puck moving quickly on the rush that led to Conor Geekie’s goal for a 2-0 lead.
Zettler called the Lilleberg-D’Astous pairing “a natural fit,” and said the staff has learned plenty by giving those younger defensemen real NHL minutes.
“Him and ‘Chucky’ play really well together. ... We didn’t realize the kind of player D’Astous was, or even Lilliberg or (Max) Crozier, or (Declan) Carlile, all those guys.
When all of a sudden we had a ton of injuries and they came in, they played great for us. So, you don’t know what you have until you give them a chance, but those chances are hard to come by unless there are injuries.”
Now the Lightning may need that kind of insurance again. Crozier is the only one of the eight defensemen who hasn’t played yet, and he would likely be the next man in if Tampa Bay sticks with the 11-forward, seven-defenseman alignment.
“I know when he gets penciled in the lineup he’s going to compete hard and he’s going to make it hard on the other team, and that’s what he needs to do,” Zettler said. “And he knows that.
We love ‘Cro.’ We love what he brings to the table.
It’s just it’s just hard right now with the quality and the number of defensemen we have. So, he’s kind of biding his time, but he’ll get his chance.”
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Lightning Showed Fans Something Encouraging In Their First Real Test
The home opener offered Tampa Bay a useful first look at how the pieces might fit together, and the Lightning came away with a 3-1 win over Washington. Goals from Charle-Edouard DAstous, Conor Geekie and Jake Guentzel gave the building plenty to cheer about, while the overall performance had the kind of steadiness that can matter early in a season when teams are still sorting out roles and rhythm.
Jon Cooper also used the night to try a few lineup tweaks, giving the roster a different look as he searched for the right combinations. Gage Goncalves getting a chance higher in the order stood out as part of that evaluation, and the result was encouraging enough to keep the conversation going about what this group might look like once the coach settles on his preferred mix. [Read more 🡒]