Lightning are rested, 'ready to go,' Cirelli says

TORONTO --The Tampa Bay Lightning have played more meaningful games than any other NHL team in the past four seasons, but forward Anthony Cirelli still refuses to use fatigue as a reason for their early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tampa Bay has played 77 postseason games since July of 2020, 16 more than the next closest team, the Vegas Golden Knights. In that span, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, and lost in the Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 before being eliminated in six games by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference First Round last season.

"We played a lot of games in that span, but that's no excuse, really," Cirelli said this week after competing in a celebrity ball hockey game at the National Bank Open tennis tournament. "We were intent on going deep again."

There is no question Tampa Bay had the will to make another deep run, but after all the hits, blocked shots, and physical forechecks accrued during such a condensed run of hockey, well, perhaps having more time to recover this offseason isn't such a bad thing.

It's called healing time. And it's a commodity the Lightning needed.

"Obviously, a bit of a longer summer, so it gives guys a chance to rest here, a chance to get into the gym and work on some things we haven't been able to in the past," Cirelli said. "Obviously, you never want to lose, but it's nice to get some extra time and be ready to go for next season.

"We're excited."

Even after losing some key cogs from their championship teams.

Gone is forward Alex Killorn, who signed a four-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks on July 1. The 33-year-old had 466 points (198 goals, 268 assists) in 805 games over 11 seasons with the Lightning, including setting NHL career highs in goals (27), assists (37) and points (64) last season.

Also departed with two championship rings is forward Pat Maroon, who was traded to the Minnesota Wild on July 2. Forwards Ross Colton, who was sent to the Colorado Avalanche on June 28, and Corey Perry, who was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on June 29, are gone as well.

Those moves came one year after forward Ondrej Palat left to sign a five-year, $30 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 14, 2022.

Despite the exodus, Cirelli said the Lightning's core of forwards Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, defensemen Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy keeps them optimistic about making a run at their third Stanley Cup championship in five seasons.

He also added that general manager Julien BriseBois deserves credit for keeping Tampa Bay competitive.

"I mean, obviously it always [stinks] losing guys," Cirelli said. "That's the reality of it: It's a business. Stuff like that happens, but we're staying the course. Julien has brought in guys like [forward] Conor Sheary, so that's going to help.

"Guys come in and guys come out. That's part of the game. They've done a good job replacing the pieces that left, but that doesn't take away from our excitement.

"We're really excited and ready to go for the season."