Pontus Holmberg is back, and the Lightning believe that matters more than most people realized last season.
A fourth-line winger by label, Holmberg became something much bigger for Tampa Bay after arriving two summers ago. He slid into a possession-heavy role alongside Yanni Gourde and Zemgus Girgensons and, before long, that unit was taking on top-line matchups.
Then came April 6 in Buffalo, when Holmberg fractured his collarbone going into the side boards in a collision that also left his left shoulder caught in the opening of the door. The penalty box attendant had been holding the door unlatched so Buffalo forward Zach Benson could exit the box, and the NHL launched an investigation into the incident.
The Lightning never looked quite the same after that.
“I think you look back at last year in the playoffs, and you can always point fingers when you don’t win as to what happened, and I think part of the things that happened to us was because Holmberg wasn’t with us,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “He’s a big catalyst on that line.
He just leans on you and is hard to play against. We missed him last year down the stretch.”
Holmberg missed the first-round series against the Canadiens, and he said that was hard to watch from the sideline. “It was tough not being able to be out there and play,” he said.
“It was a tough loss. I really wanted to be able to help the team.
But now I’m excited to start a new season.”
That new season comes with a different setup around him. Gourde is out until December after offseason hip surgery, so free-agent addition Jeff Viel has stepped into the mix. Girgensons has moved to center to open the season, and Holmberg has picked up another job too: working net front on the Lightning’s second-team power-play unit.
Even with the reshuffled cast, the Lightning are counting on the same thing that made Holmberg so valuable in the first place. He was the glue on that line last season, the guy who could carry the puck into the offensive zone, absorb contact, and keep possession alive. That ability earned him the nickname “The Backpack.”
“I think that’s the biggest thing,” Girgensons said. “He can put guys on his back, draw people to him.
He can hold on to the puck. He sees the ice.
He gets the puck in the right places, and most importantly he plays it the right way. He can defend.
He does all the little things right that maybe a lot of people don’t see. “It was huge losing him.
It kind of messed up the whole dynamic. There had to be some changes, and it was so close to the playoffs that you didn’t really get a good chemistry. ...
He’s huge for the team. He’s a big addition.
He brings a lot, and we’re just happy to have him back.”
Viel has already shown he can fit the job description. His work in Anaheim last season helped earn him a spot on a Ducks matchup line in the playoffs that was used to shut down Edmonton star center Connor McDavid, and he has looked comfortable early with Tampa Bay.
In two preseason games, the Viel-Girgensons-Holmberg line posted a 20-2 edge in shot attempts and an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal in 17:19 together. Viel scored twice, and the trio didn’t give up a goal.
Holmberg likes what he’s seeing. “I hope we kind of continue what we did last year,” he said.
“We’re starting this season really well. It’s fun to play with Viel.
He’s strong. He’s tough.
I hope we can continue the same type of game.”
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