Will the Tampa Bay Lightning remain a Playoff team?
NHL Network: Last week on NHL Network, Tony Luftman and Bruce Boudreau discussed two divisions in the Eastern Conference. They moved up to the Atlantic Division, and Boudreau was asked which team will be the most surprising this season. He said the Tampa Bay Lightning.
** NHLRumors.com transcript
Tony Luftman: “So train your team to be surprised. Why are these lightnings?”
Bruce Boudreau: “You know what I think they didn't, you know, they, everybody talks about losing Stamkos and everything, and I get it, a great player that's unbelievable history. But he added Jake Guentzel. I think it's a bath.
And people say, Well, what about power play? And I'm watching it right now, and I'm going, Okay, you got Kucherov on the right hash mark. Why don't we move Brayden Point, who was good in the middle, but also Jake Guentzel, let's put him at guard and put Point on that other half wall. So now Guentzel is becoming more of a shooter.
And from that side I think, it's going to be just fine, and some power plays are always the same. And I think he's a better five-on-five player than Steve and I mean, looking at it, they lost Sergachev and even though Ryan McDonagh is a few years older than the last time they had him, I still think he's pretty solid. , a strong defender.
And, I mean, who knows if Cam Atkinson has anything left in the tank? Then you are a good supplement. And I mean, you know, I mean, Vasilevskiy is getting to the age where he's going to say, hey, this has to be, I have to get back to full form. And when he does, you get a great goal.
And one thing we didn't talk about when the production room I think they got the best coach, I'm sure they got the best coach, longest tenure, in Jon Cooper. And I don't think he's going to let them lose. He has never had a losing year. Even in his last year in the American League, he won the Calder Cup while traveling, and continued to do so in the NHL.
So, I mean, I think you add all those things, and everybody says, Oh, they're getting old. They are getting old. They are about to be done. They have been saying it for two years. I don't think they're done yet. I think they will be there. I think they will be better than last year.”
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