Every cloud has a silver lining, even in hockey.
Jon Cooper, who has been coaching the Lightning for 12 full seasons, knows how to motivate his team. After two dramatic November home losses (7-3 to the New York Rangers and 6-2 to the Vancouver Canucks), the Bolts have found their thunder, winning seven consecutive games, including three on the road.
Brayden Point sustained an undisclosed injury against the Caps and has missed four games since then. It’s unknown when he will be back in the lineup. Even before recent health issues, the 29-year-old winger was in the process of finding his game with 11 points (three goals) and a plus/minus of -11 in 21 contests.
The team is still missing other key players, including experienced defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak, but forwards Nick Paul and Pontus Holmberg are back for good. In his return, Paul has collected two goals and two assists in six contests.
Brandon Hagel, who had only one assist in his first seven games of the season, dominated the lineup in November by registering 15 goals and 27 points in 17 games. Another impactful contributor is Nikita Kucherov, who is on pace for his sixth career 100-point season. Kucherov has an eight-game point streak.
Andrei Vasilevsky, who turned his performance 360 degrees around, earned his first shutout of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers (3-0).
It’s not only the numbers. The team is outstanding, pressuring opponents hard, controlling the puck, and capitalizing on chances. After allowing four goals in one period against the Rangers, Vasilevskiy looks like the Vezina Trophy contender the world once knew. Kucherov is all over the ice and supports his partners in every corner and battle.
The Lightning finished November on a high note. The team is making a statement by leading the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference with 34 points and a 16-7-2 record in 25 games. It’s mesmerizing how the team got there after such an unusually slow and shaky start to the season.
The next test is seven games in two weeks, with five of them on the road.