Mishkin's Musings: Four things to consider as the Lightning hit the road

Four musings on the Lightning as they prepare to begin a four-game road trip Tuesday in St. Louis.

1. Home Sweet Home
After stumbling through a 1-3 trip at the end of November, the Lightning sharpened their game during their recently completed 4-0 homestand. How did they turn things around? They improved in three critical areas. First, their compete level was extremely high. This allowed them to win numerous puck battles, which led to lots of puck possession. The urgency with which they played was evident in how aggressively (and effectively) they forechecked the opposition, how consistently they retrieved pucks in the offensive zone after shot attempts and how tightly they defended when they didn't have the puck. Their decision-making was sound, both with the puck and without it. This allowed them to limit turnovers when they had the puck and, when they didn't have it, prevented open scoring chances for the other team. Lastly, their execution with the puck was spot-on. Their passing was often tape-to-tape, so they were able to use their speed up ice. The high compete, sound decision-making and excellent execution were the foundation. It allowed them to dictate play for long stretches, utilize their speed and skill and limit opportunities for the opposition. The Lightning scored 20 goals during the four-game homestand and allowed only nine. In all four contests, they not only outshot the opponent, but also enjoyed a substantial advantage in shot attempts. It's true that they had some uneven moments, notably the first 15 minutes of the second period against the Islanders, but those segments were relatively few and far between.
2. Line Swaps Pay Off
For much of the season, the Lightning have used, with great success, a lineup formation of 11 forwards and seven defensemen. But due to injuries to defensemen Jake Dotchin and Braydon Coburn, they went with the conventional 12 F and 6 D lineup during the homestand. Dotchin returned for the final game, but the Bolts kept the 12-6 configuration. With 12 forwards, the Lightning rolled four full lines and each unit made significant contributions throughout the homestand. The biggest shift was Tyler Johnson moving to right wing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Vladdy Namestnikov. That change initially occurred in the last game of the previous road trip, but Johnson stayed on that line when the team returned home. (During the Winnipeg game, Johnson switched places with Nikita Kucherov and was skating with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat.) Johnson was fantastic during the homestand. He posted points in all four games (two goals and five assists) and was dynamic in using his speed to create space for himself and his linemates. Yanni Gourde essentially took Johnson's place at center, which is his natural position. Gourde, on a line with Alex Killorn and Cory Conacher, also recorded points in all four games (3 goals and two assists). Then there was the line of Cedric Paquette, Chris Kunitz and Ryan Callahan (J.T. Brown was in for Paquette against San Jose on December 2, as Paquette served a one-game suspension). That line may have been the Lightning's most consistent unit during all four games. They forechecked relentlessly, dominated puck possession and punished the opposition with their physical play. They also contributed three goals - two from Kunitz and one from Andrej Sustr while that line was on the ice. With Dotchin now healthy - and Coburn on the mend - it'll be interesting to see if the Lightning stick with a 12-6 lineup on the upcoming road trip.
3. The Road Ahead
The Lightning will see four Western Conference teams on this upcoming trip, but that's where the similarities between their opponents end. St. Louis, with 44 points, is currently tied with the Lightning for the most points in the NHL. Arizona, with 19 points, has the fewest. Colorado had gone 1-5-0 in its previous six before posting a 7-3 win over Florida on Saturday. One of those recent losses came against the Lightning. But the Avs have been pretty good at home, going 8-5-1. The trip ends in Vegas, where the expansion Golden Knights own the sixth-most points in the league (39). Vegas has a home record of 11-2-0 so far this year. On this trip. the challenge for the Lightning will be a) to bring onto the road the high level they displayed during the homestand and b) to maintain that level throughout the trip, no matter the opposition.
4. Upcoming Travels
The road will be a familiar place for the Bolts over the next two months. Beginning with Tuesday's game in St. Louis, the Lightning will play 17 of their next 24 on the road. The Lightning, as a whole, have been very good on the road this year - and three of their best performances of the entire season came during their California sweep in November. But, as has been well-documented, the Lightning didn't play very well on their most recent trip. Obviously, they know they'll need to be a lot better than they were in those late November games.