Burns: Three Things we learned from a fifth-straight victory

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on their winningest run of the season to date.
The Lightning extended their season-long victory streak to five games following a convincing 5-3 result over the equally red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.

Bolts captain Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal and added three assists for his first four-point night of the season to pace the team for scoring. Ondrej Palat netted a pair of goals for his second multi-goal game of the season. And Taylor Raddysh recorded the first game-winning goal of his young NHL career with his marker at 9:11 of the second period that gave the Lightning their first multi-goal lead of the night at 4-2.
After getting off to another somewhat sluggish start and falling behind when Ondrej Kase scored on a power play just 1:44 into the contest, the Lightning found their footing and took control. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare leveled the score by the midpoint of the first period and Stamkos hammered a one-timer from the top of the right circle later in the period for a power-play goal that put the Lightning in front for the first time.
After Toronto scored a late power-play goal in the period to tie the game 2-2 heading into the first intermission, the Lightning took control of the game in the second with back-to-back goals to grab the lead for good.
Tampa Bay pulled even with Toronto and Florida in the Atlantic Division standings with the win, each team on 38 points, although the Lightning have two games in hand on the Maple Leafs and the Panthers have a game in hand on the Bolts.
Tampa Bay is 4-0-0 on its current road swing and can close out a perfect trip with a victory Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.
Thursday's result over the Maple Leafs was one of the better wins of the season for the Lightning.
Here's why.

1. NEXT-MAN-UP MENTALITY
As warmups started, the Lightning announced center Anthony Cirelli was day-to-day with an upper-body injury and wouldn't play in Toronto.
Cirelli was the fourth significant player out of the lineup currently for the Bolts. Nikita Kucherov hasn't played since the third game of the season. Brayden Point missed his 10th game Thursday with an upper-body injury that's sidelined him four to six weeks. Erik Cernak returned to the injured list after just coming off of it and had to sit a third-straight game.
Cirelli had been playing major minutes, and thriving, in taking over as the Bolts' number one center in the absence of Point.
Surely, a depleted lineup like the Lightning's couldn't go into Toronto and come away with a victory against a Maple Leafs squad that had been as good as any team in the League since October 26.
Somehow, this Lightning team keeps chugging along even with the mounting injuries to key players, however. When one guy goes down, another comes in to replace, and the train keeps heading down the tracks with no signs of slowing.
With Cirelli out Thursday, the Lightning turned to Riley Nash, who was claimed off waivers Tuesday by the Bolts from Winnipeg. He skated over 11 minutes in Toronto and went 5-for-7 in the face-off circle, the only Lightning player to take a significant number of draws and finish better than 50 percent.
Rookies Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk have provided the Lightning with grit, defensive responsibility and, of late, scoring. Fellow first-year player Gabriel Fortier has proven he can be an everyday player in the NHL in the six games he's played since being recalled.
The Lightning, it seems, are undeterred by whatever setback is thrown their way. The win in Toronto further hammered home that point.
"It's definitely not easy, especially when you're losing the quality of players that aren't in the lineup for our group," Steven Stamkos said. "This group has never used that as an excuse. Guys stepped up. Vasy played great again. That's a really good team over there. I know they're missing a couple key guys too, but they were playing some good hockey. We weathered the storm and played a pretty good third I thought. Another great win on the road. It's been a tough stretch, but this has been a big test for our group with the guys out and we've responded."
The Lightning preach a next-man-up mentality whenever a starter goes down to injury. A lot of times, those are just words.
For the Bolts, it's reality.
"It just goes to show the depth that we do have," Stamkos said. "A lot of people kind of questioned that after we lost some players, but I think if you look at the guys that have stepped up into the lineup from the veteran guys like Belly and Pairs and then you've got Katchouk and Raddy, Colton, all the guys that have really stepped up, it's fun when you can have that depth and still go out there and win. Obviously, it helps when you have the best goalie in the world and that's kind of where it starts. It gives us a chance to win and maybe win some games that we're not supposed to. But we're happy he's on our side and we'll take it."
Good news for the Lightning is they might get Cirelli back soon. Cooper said after the win in Toronto he was "hopeful" the center might be able to return for the road trip finale in Ottawa.

2. THE RADDYSH GUY ON THE ICE
Perhaps no player has taken more advantage of Tampa Bay's mounting injury situation than Taylor Raddysh.
The 23-year-old forward joined the Lightning out of training camp to make his NHL debut on Opening Night and played well enough to solidify his spot in the lineup through an attention to detail in the defensive zone and an ability to keep the puck in the offensive zone to prevent how much time he and his linemates would have to defend.
Scoring seemed to be another story, however. A prolific scorer in junior and with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, Raddysh recorded just one point, an assist, in his first 19 games. But after netting his first career NHL goal on a highlight-reel play shorthanded, the floodgates have opened and Raddysh is playing with an extreme amount of confidence right now.
In Toronto, Raddysh registered the second assist on Ondrej Palat's second-period goal that gave the Lightning the lead for good, then scored his own goal on a rush five minutes later for what would prove to be the game-winner.
"I think ever since he scored that goal, his confidence is flowing," Stamkos said. "That's huge, whether it's your 14th year, 15th year or first year. Confidence as a player is huge, and he's playing with that right now. I thought he made some great plays, obviously a great shot on his goal. He looks confident now. What I really liked about him was just his poise with the puck playing with Pally and I. We kind of told him before the game let's make some plays when they're there and let's win some battles, go to the net. I thought he did a great job tonight."
On his goal, Raddysh got the puck in the slot with space to make a play. He shot across his body to the far post, sticking a puck over the glove of Jack Campbell in a spot the Toronto goalie had no chance of stopping.
"Just trying to get a good shot off," Raddysh recalled after the win. "I find just being ready there, just going far side was a good spot, and Stammer made a heck of a pass to get it over that guy's stick."
Raddysh has scored three goals in the last four games. He produced another multi-point effort in Toronto, the second of his career and second in the last six games. And he now has points in four of the last six contests.
With the Lightning missing key pieces in Toronto, Raddysh jumped up onto the top line alongside Stamkos and Ondrej Palat and was a natural fit. He also saw time on the Bolts' top power-play unit.
"I think at times it's difficult playing with guys like Stamkos and Point or whatever, and not because they're good hockey players, it's the name, like, 'Whoa, Stamkos could be my center," Cooper said. "So, you worry about that with young guys. I think if Taylor Raddysh is put there in game one, it's a different result than him sitting him in game 20 whatever it is. And he's taken baby steps in this league and come along, but he's a perfect example of a guy who grew in the American League. He's got a knack for the net. To be honest, a little surprised it took him 16 games or 17 games to score. But now one's coming every couple games, so his confidence in this league has grown. Like I said, you have to have confidence to play with guys that have been stars in this league. He fit like a glove tonight. The three of them were outstanding."

3. JON COOPER MAKES HISTORY
Jon Cooper is already one of the winningest head coaches in NHL history.
In his 10th season with the Lightning, Cooper has two Stanley Cups to his resume. He's coached his team to the conference final round of the playoffs five times. He's the longest-tenured coach in the League with one team.
Thursday in Toronto, he recorded his 400th career NHL win, becoming the 39th head coach in the League to reach the milestone. He also was the fastest to get there, needing just 659 games.
Bruce Boudreau previously held the record for fastest to 400 wins, doing so in 663 contests.
"Honestly, I found that out on the bench today at the end of the game," Cooper said of accomplishing the feat. "Perry and Maroon were kind of ribbing me. So, I haven't had a ton of time to digest that other than the fact that I think I'm really proud to have done it with one team. But you don't do that without an owner coupled with two general managers that are committed to all having the same goal, all being on the same page and we're kind of all bonded together. I have to thank Jeff (Vinik), Steve (Yzerman) and Julien (BriseBois). Fabulous assistant coaches that make somebody like me look good in a situation like this. And then a whole hell of a bunch of hockey players, because in the end they're the guys that get you the wins. A lot of people to thank for that. Hopefully we're not stopping here.
"Pretty humbling moment to be honest but pretty cool."
Cooper owns a .650 point percentage following the win in Toronto. Only one other NHL coach with 400-plus wins has a better point percentage, that being the legendary Scotty Bowman.
If Cooper's career ended today, he'd already be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.
But at the rate he's going, he's going to be in the conversation for the greatest coach in NHL history once his career's all said and done.
"It's pretty amazing to have that accomplishment," said Stamkos, who went to the scorer's table after the game to get a game puck for Cooper and one for assistant athletic trainer Mike Poirier, who worked his 1,500th NHL game on Thursday. "He's come into the League and he's picked up where he's left off from every other coaching job he's had and had success. It follows him. It follows the teams that he coaches. I think if you ask him, it's been a pretty amazing ride so far in the NHL capped off by the last two years. Been fun to be a part of all those. I think he's got a lot more wins to come. I know he can definitely cherish that. It's pretty amazing to be the quickest. Congrats to him."