"Puck management is a big part of it because if you don't have it, you can't spend time in the O-zone," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. "That was a big thing for us. If you want to play in the O-zone, you've got to make sure the puck gets there and we weren't doing that.
"You've got to tuck pucks behind their D and basically put the work boots on and go get it. Then you can start doing some of the things that we plan to do. If you turn the puck over, it's a recipe for disaster."
It was puck management and strong play in the defensive zone that got the Bolts to this point of the postseason and earned them two straight Stanley Cup championships. After getting their first win of the series, the Lightning have to keep their foot on the gas and do whatever they can to replicate that same effort on Tuesday night.
"You just can't think because we did it once, it's going to be easily replicated," said Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh. "For us, it's going through the same preparations, meetings, and coming ready to play tonight."
In Games 1 and 2, the Lightning went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. For the first time in this series, the Lightning dressed 12 forwards and six defensemen in Game 3, with Riley Nash entering the lineup up front and Cal Foote being scratched on the back end.
Look for the Bolts to roll with 12 forwards and six defensemen again tonight, as Cooper told the media on Tuesday morning that's what he anticipates.
With 12 forwards dressing, the Lightning get the opportunity to have four full forward lines and hopefully develop some chemistry with consistent linemates. One line that was spectacular in Game 3 was the trio of Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Alex Killorn. Cooper was asked on Tuesday morning what his thoughts were when putting those three together.
"Stopping them," Cooper answered.
They did a great job stopping the Rangers. They've out-chanced their opponent 18-5 and held a 21-7 shot advantage. Overall, they've generated 84% of the expected goals with all three of them on the ice together. The most impressive part of all of that is that they're the shutdown line. They're out there to prevent New York from having offensive success. What's the best way to do that? Spend time in the New York zone.
"Maybe we haven't produced as much as we would've liked to," said Killorn. "But I think, as a line, when we're making them play defense for a good majority of the game, that's successful for us and what we're trying to do."
The line played great in Game 3 and the Bolts will look for more of that on Tuesday. But what makes that trio successful?
"All three of us kind of play the same way a little bit," Hagel explained. "Just getting pucks to the net, working them down low, and trying not to turn the puck over. We were just getting pucks to the net.
"I feel like all three of us are kind of good around the net and finding those pucks, so we got pucks there. Obviously, playing against a really good line, if you can keep them down there as long as you can, it's obviously a good thing, especially with the players they've got out there."
The Lightning will be without Brayden Point again for Game 4 as he continues to skate and work his way back from the lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 of the opening-round series against Toronto.
