Mikheyev-Girgensons-Holmberg Line:
One of the biggest storylines from last season’s 106-point campaign was the Lightning’s matchup line of Yanni Gourde, Zemgus Girgensons, and Pontus Holmberg. Jon Cooper often used that unit against the opposition’s best forward line. Unfortunately, Holmberg’s injury late in the regular season kept him out of the Lightning’s first-round series against Montreal.
This year, the Lightning announced on the first day of camp that Gourde would be out until December as he recovered from offseason surgery. What would this mean for Girgensons and Holmberg? Would the Lightning be able to find a third player so that they could use the line in a similar fashion?
The answer, at least through the first five games, has been yes. Since the second game, Ilya Mikheyev has joined that line. Mikheyev has played left wing, with Girgensons moving to center (where Gourde played last year, although center is Girgensons’ natural position), and Holmberg at right wing. As Cooper did throughout last season, he’s matched that line against the opponent’s best offensive players.
The three players have met the challenge. Not only have they finished plus or even in all four games, but they’ve often dictated play and forced the other team to play without the puck in the defensive zone. This was a hallmark of last year’s unit with Gourde. Against Philadelphia, the three players accounted for two goals and five points. But even when they haven’t scored, they’ve helped the Lightning drive play and neutralize the opposition.
Playoff Pace Metric:
Every year in this column, I mention (usually several times) the 12-points-in-10-games metric that has been a reliable indicator of playoff qualification. Generating 12 points in every 10-game segment gets a team to 96 points after 80 games, and then there were two extra games to add to the total.
Only four times (under the current playoff format system that’s been in place since the 2013-14 season) did a team reach 96 points and fail to qualify, and no team exceeding 96 ever missed the playoffs. In most years, the final wildcard qualifier in both conferences finished below 96.
Beginning in 2026-27, the NHL lengthened the schedule to 84 games, adding two more contests. This may affect the final point totals of the qualifying teams—maybe teams need to exceed 98 instead of 96?—but it wouldn’t seem to change the playoff pace formula.
Time will tell. What’s clear is that the Lightning have gotten off to a good start, not just in terms of their standings position but also regarding playoff pace. They’ve picked up eight points through five games.
Even in the strongest of divisions, a club that takes care of its own business will set itself up for qualification, no matter what else is happening with its rivals.
