For the fans who watched the entirety of the NHL playoffs on NBC, the constant bombardment of the same commercials became exhausting – all besides one. MassMutual put together a compilation of hockey players being interviewed post-game, and the result was anything but surprising.
To quote the commercial, “It’s never ‘I’, always ‘we’”. That is to say; every single player replied to a reporter by saying the word “we”, referring to his team as a whole, rather than taking the alternatively selfish route.
This sentiment has never been more apparent than after what we just experienced. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars spent 65 days building a camaraderie that can arguably never be replicated. And with that, the Lightning players and coaches will forever live in infamy as the team who persevered through unimaginable circumstances.
Tampa Bay Lightning
What else can be said about this group? Up and down their lineup, it appeared as though these lines have been paired together since Peewee’s. With a team composed primarily of players that had recently succumbed to the biggest upset in NHL history, this team was on a mission from the start. Slightly revamped, but every bit as hungry for revenge, Tampa Bay would adapt to anything thrown their way.
The credit, first and foremost, needs to be given to the Lightning’s top players, who night in and night out found a way to contribute. Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point could have received equal thirds of the Conn Smythe trophy, and nobody would’ve questioned it.
How do you choose between three players who would’ve undoubtedly won MVP in almost any other year? Kucherov led the playoffs in points and set a franchise record with 27 assists in the postseason – only ever bested by Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky; decent company. Point set a franchise record with 14 goals and seemed to dominate play on both ends of the ice for large chunks of time. The eventual MVP, Hedman, compiled 10 goals and 22 points, blending that with outstanding defensive ability. No wonder the voting was as close as it’s ever been before.
The unheralded “identity-line” that comprises the trio of Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, and Barclay Goodrow was a force to be reckoned with. It seems that every year, lesser-known players come together to form lines that can do a bit of everything. Intended to be a shut-down, defensive line, Tampa Bay’s energy was dependent on this “identity line”. And every night, as the familiar trio centered by Gourde would start the game, that energy was indeed summoned.
This is not to write-off the second line, who contributed in major ways, or the role-players who provided much-needed bite and grit to a skill-based team. Like I said, up and down the lineup. The defensive corps performed admirably as well, albeit for a team that played as though they didn’t need to worry about defense anyways.
To be able to return from the depths of 2019 speaks volumes to the leadership, coaching, and management of a team that stuck to its guns. There were rumblings last offseason that major changes to the roster could be underway. Instead, new GM, Julien BriseBois made it known that he had faith in his staff and his core players.
Immediately following the humiliating loss one year ago, BriseBois would state, “If I hadn’t resigned Coop (coach Jon Cooper) when I did, I would be trying to resign him now.
Similar statements would be portrayed in the media regarding his star players in the coming months. It’s nice when things pay off…
Tampa Bay’s outlook is bright – as if everything hasn’t already gone perfectly enough for them. After the necessary salary cap gymnastics that BriseBois will have to perform, next season will see the Lightning deploying the bulk of their championship roster. A few pieces may become salary cap casualties, but there will definitely be one addition; Steven Stamkos. The heart and soul of the Lightning, and their captain, played all of 2 minutes and 47 seconds in the playoffs – he scored a sensational, inspiring goal in that time.
Dallas Stars
It had been a long decade for this core group. Bringing Tyler Seguin over from Boston in 2013 was supposed to be the start of a dynasty. While it took a bit longer than expected, this team seems like a force, and is sure to be dominant in regular season play next year.
While Tyler Seguin never seemed to find his finishing touch, his effort-level and playmaking seemed to make up for it. Other key pieces like Jamie Benn, John Klingberg, and Alexander Radulov all chipped in when they were needed. Offseason acquisitions Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry would prove invaluable throughout the playoffs, as their experience and willingness to go to the dirty areas paid off in major ways.
What seemed to get this team over the hump however, was their youth movement. Players like Joel Kiviranta, Denis Gurianov, and most importantly, Miro Heiskanen set the tone for their squad with timely goals, play-driving skill, and maturity beyond their years. The experience that they all gained will serve them well, and should make Stars fans confident heading forward considering the older age of the rest of their important pieces.
What was so shocking about the Dallas Stars’ postseason was their version of success. It was not flashy, it wasn’t pretty, sometimes it seemed like luck. But as the old saying goes, “you create your own luck”. At a certain point, it was undeniable that the Stars were doing something right. Predicted to lose every series they participated in, the Stars seemed to relish the underdog position. They played a gutsy, old-fashioned style game that depended on players being able to take advantage of opportunities. And advantage was indeed taken.
Moving forward, the Stars project to be ultra-competitive in a central division that seems, as of now, to be a three-team race. As mentioned earlier, the wealth of experience gained, and the thirst that seems unquenchable for a Stanley Cup finalist will drive this team to do bigger and better things next year.
Stanley Cup Windows
We’ve heard the notion. GMs get it in their heads that they need to put all their chips in. They will trade valuable prospects or draft picks in order to pick up NHL-ready help for a playoff push. This leads to the reality where teams have small windows of opportunity in which they are legitimately able to compete for a Stanley Cup.
Take the Los Angeles Kings for example. They go all-in on Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Brown. Great players are necessary for Stanley Cup runs, but the issue with going all-in on players of a certain age is the regression that has come to be expected. Long-term money is now tied up in this group of players, a group of players who are now unable to bring the same level of success to a city that is now outside of their Stanley Cup window.
Similar examples can be seen with the Chicago Blackhawks or Detroit Red Wings. But today, it’s a new day and age. Teams like the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and now the Tampa Bay Lightning, have put this notion to bed. Instead of going all-in on an older core, these teams have carved out long-term success by building teams with players that are heavily varied in age. In addition, instead of giving away assets in favor of a full-on rebuild, these teams have found ways to “retool”.
Boston’s initial success came with Marc Savard, Mark Recchi, and Michael Ryder leading the path to a Stanley Cup in 2011. Younger players like Brad Marchand, David Krejci, and Patrice Bergeron contributed, and they were able to gain crucial experience. Fast forward to today, the original group of young-guns are leading today’s youngsters like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy into a new but familiarly successful era.
The Penguins have been lucky to build around two franchise cornerstones for upwards of a decade. They have been able to consistently find ways to retool, surrounding Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with enough talent and experience in order to help them get to hockey’s ultimate prize three times in eight years.
Now, we get to witness Tampa Bay’s approach to neglecting the outdated notion of a Stanley Cup window. First, it started by surrounding Vincent Lecavlier and Martin St. Louis with young talent (Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman). There were multiple successful years that would lead all the way to the departure of those two franchise players in the early 2010s. Then came the retooling stage; Stamkos and Hedman were good pieces to build around, but they needed their help. In came Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and now the more recent pieces of Point, Gourde, and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning have taken both methods learned from the Penguins and the Bruins in order to keep the window open longer. Or maybe, they’ve ushered in a new, windowless era.
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