Lightning hit the road with newfound confidence
TAMPA, Fla. -- Their scenery will change, but their strut should remain the same. Their venue will move from Hockey Paradise to Hockeytown, but the mission will stay constant.
Exert their will. Overwhelm the opposition.
The Tampa Bay Lightning prepare to jet to Detroit for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series, to be held Tuesday, with the same mindset they adopted before Game 1. Though the Red Wings accomplished what they came for by splitting the first two games at Amalie Arena, the Lightning aren't exactly sweating bullets. In fact, their attitude after the Game 2 victory was little different than their demeanor following the Game 1 loss.
They were confident that they were the better team. They have faith in themselves to take Detroit's best shot and keep breathing.
What a difference a year makes, right?
"We're a year grayer," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "That's what we are. It's my second kick at the can. It's the whole crew we had last year that's all been on the road with me. ... We dipped our toes in the water (in the playoffs) last year, and now we feel like we can just jump in the lake."
Splash!
Tampa Bay made more gains Saturday by diving in cannonball-style through all the firsts: Cooper's first victory in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; the first taste of postseason success for Ben Bishop and Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov and more; the franchise's first win in the playoffs since May 25, 2011, in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins.
Sure, there are deeper depths to be discovered. But doesn't this team seem capable? Doesn't this group feel different than the one that left for Montreal down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals last year?
Then, losing the first two games at Tampa Bay Times Forum felt like a death sentence. Now, it would be little surprise if the Lightning returned home later this week looking to close out the series in Game 5 on Saturday.
"It was a big win for us, obviously, after losing that first one," Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said of Game 2. "So it was good to get that first win out of the way. And now we have to keep working hard and keep playing like that. Now, we've got two big games in Detroit, and we're focused on the one Tuesday."
Splash!
The wetter the Lightning become, the better they'll be. The argument can be made that the Game 1 loss was good for them. It didn't allow them to become comfortable after outshooting Detroit by that crazy 46-14 total. It didn't allow them to become complacent after outplaying the Red Wings in all areas except on the scoreboard.
Cooper's guys handled the result well. It would have been a different story if the Lightning had moped around after the defeat, with each player sitting shell-shocked about the hand they were dealt.
That didn't happen.
Instead, the sense of calm in their dressing room Thursday night and Friday afternoon was almost striking. It was as if they had convinced themselves that they were up 1-0 in the series, knowing full well that Detroit was a 100-point team in the regular season and capable of better play. They turned a possible mental hurdle into motivation to maintain their level of execution. Then they busted out the Game 2 rout.
That's a sign of the maturity Cooper spoke about. He's right: the Lightning are grayer than they were when they hit the road in the playoffs down 2-0 last year. Then, reaching that point was good enough for most who followed them. The expectations are different this time around.
Certainly, the Lightning aren't perfect. Certainly, they can't expect to toss their skates onto the ice and glide to blowouts in Games 3 and 4. Certainly, their focus must be sharp.
Detroit, after all, will give Tampa Bay its best swings. Remember, the last time the Lightning played at Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings turned them into confetti during a 4-0 rout on March 28. Detroit coach Mike Babcock still has faith in goaltender Petr Mrazek to do the job.
"It was more physical (Saturday)," Lightning center Valtteri Filppula said, "and I assume it's going to get even tougher as we go forward."
Probably so. But the trends discovered in Tampa last week suggest the Lightning have thick-enough skin to survive it all.
They have the right stuff to jump deep in that lake as well.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
