Kucherov, Stamkos spark reunited Lightning power play in playoffs

The Tampa Bay Lightning power play is making a lot of noise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs because the band is finally together, and all five pieces are playing in harmony.

"Our power play has been so good because everyone understands their roles," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said.
The return of forwards Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov at the start of the playoffs allowed everyone on the first power-play unit to settle into their regularly assigned roles for the first time since before the 2019-20 season was paused 15 months ago.
Kucherov missed this entire regular season recovering from hip surgery. Stamkos missed the last 16 games with a lower-body injury. When the Lightning won the Stanley Cup last season, a lower-body injury limited Stamkos to five shifts, none on the power play, in one playoff game.
Together again, Kucherov, Stamkos, forwards Alex Killorn and Brayden Point, and defenseman Victor Hedman have 15 goals and 29 assists on the power play in 11 games.
There is no bigger reason the Lightning are preparing to play the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Semifinals, with Game 1 of the best-of-7 series at Tampa Bay on Sunday (3 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS).
"Going into the playoffs, getting all five guys back together, you don't really know where you stand, but we took off from where we left off a year and a half, two years ago," Hedman said. "It's been a lot of fun and it's been a big key to our success."

The Lightning have the top power play in the playoffs at 41.7 percent, up from 22.2 percent (ninth in the NHL) in the regular season without Kucherov. Last season in the playoffs without Stamkos, they were at 22.7 percent, fifth.
The Lightning are 50.0 percent on the face-off on the power play, third among the four teams remaining (the Islanders are 47.5 percent), but when they get the puck and gain the zone, no team is better at going to work with quick, tic-tac-toe puck movement.
It typically starts with Hedman at the point or Kucherov in the right circle. Kucherov's return forced Hedman to adjust how he operates as the quarterback.
"You notice him distributing the puck a lot more, maybe giving up some chances to shoot because he knows who is on that flank side now in 'Kuch,'" Stamkos said.
Hedman has nine assists on the power play in the playoffs, tied for first with Kucherov.
"When you're at the top of the power play and the puck is in your hands a lot there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that, and 'Heddy' has been able to make those reads," Stamkos said.
One of the reads is looking for Stamkos in the left circle. He's always ready to unload one of his one-timers that has made him one of the best goal-scorers of the generation (he's sixth among active players with 439 goals in 841 games). Kucherov also has a dangerous one-timer in the right circle.
"It's pretty easy when you have 'Stammer' on one side and Kuch on the other side," Hedman said. "You can't cover them all. I think our power play has done a good job of adjusting on the fly, making reads mid-play."

Kucherov makes a lot of those mid-play reads when he gets the puck. He gives it back to Hedman at the point for the reset. He finds Point in the high slot for one-timers. Point is tied with Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins for the playoff lead with five power-play goals; Kucherov has an assist on all five goals, including the primary assist on three.
Kucherov successfully completes the seam pass through the slot to Stamkos in the left circle for a one-timer. Stamkos has scored three power-play goals; Kucherov has an assist on two.
He finds Killorn, the low man, and has the primary assist on two of his three power-play goals. Kucherov has scored four power-play goals.
"I think just the way Kuch sees the ice, he is really good at drawing players to him and he's able to put pucks in such good spots for guys that he's able to capitalize," Point said. "The thing with Kuch is he doesn't really miss an open lane. If you're open, you get the puck."
Killorn has a different set of responsibilities on the power play.
"In that spot we ask the guys to be good net-front guys, to retrieve pucks, to be able to make those low plays," said Lightning assistant Jeff Halpern, who runs the power play.
Point and Killorn are also important in getting the puck into the zone. It typically will go from Point to Killorn, who has to protect it before getting the puck back to Point, who then moves it to Kucherov or Hedman to start the sequence.
Killorn said the most challenging part of his job is figuring out when to screen the goalie and when to pop out to the side.
"There are certain instances when Kuch or Heddy or Stammer are going to shoot it and I want to do my best to get in front of the goalie's eyes, but there's also times when I have to pop out if there is so much pressure because I have to be a release," Killorn said. "That's where it becomes difficult because a lot of these plays are so tic-tac-toe."
That's the way the Lightning power play is supposed to work, quickly and in unison, harmonic, just as it's been since the playoffs began.
"We've created some really good chemistry," Hedman said.