The recently established line of Johnson, Kucherov, and Palat is one of the many early bright spots for the Lightning this season.
Between injuries and continuous roster adjustments, many Tampa Bay Lightning players have found themselves all over the place when it comes to where they are in the lineup. And so far it has played to the Lightning’s favor.
While coach Jon Cooper has been shuffling players around, one group that has attracted attention throughout the league is the team’s second line consisting of Tyler Johnson at center, Nikita Kucherov at right wing, and Ondrej Palat at left. Although they may not yet be as popular as the Los Angeles Kings' "That 70s Line", the three young Bolts have been a strong anchor for the Lightning in the first month of the season, producing 33 points combined so far.
The offensive powerhouse from Johnny, Kuch, and Palat is part of what has deemed the Lightning as a legitimate contender in the east this season. Despite the three coming from very different hockey backgrounds, their ability to play uniformly on the ice has benefited Tampa Bay tremendously. This was most recently evidenced during the Bolts' 4-3 victory against the Washington Capitals this past weekend, where all three players totaled for 5 points combined.
Johnson, an undrafted free agent inked in 2012, Kucherov, drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft, and Palat, selected fourth-to-last in the same draft class, have become quite the impressive trio, and it should not come as a surprise. Despite offseason speculation about younger players on Tampa Bay's roster experiencing sophomore slumps, which other certain players seem to be going through this season, such an issue is not the case for the Lightning.
Going into this season, Johnson and Palat already had an established connection from the season prior that saw the two earn Calder Trophy nominations while also keeping the Lightning's playoff chances alive. Now with Kucherov fully added to the mix, a whole new realm of possibilities has been opened and does not seem to be closing anytime soon.
In the 12 games the Lightning has played so far, Johnson leads the team in points with 14 and has managed to stay out of the penalty box. Johnson, who was anticipated to once again be a big contributor to the Lightning's offensive game, has so far exceeded expectations. Although he only has one goal, his ability to read other players on the ice and set up scoring opportunities has improved to new levels, particularly with his two current line mates. His 13 assists, already half of his total from all of last season (26), indicate Johnson is playing much more consciously with the puck. He also has already set a personal record of a seven-game point streak this season.
Not too far behind Johnny is Kucherov, who has 11 points from 5 goals and 6 assists. Originally, there was some uncertainty before the season if he would be playing in Tampa or Syracuse due to the fact Kucherov would not require waivers to be sent down to the AHL. Nevertheless, general manager Steve Yzerman's decision to keep him on the roster proves to be a smarter choice as each game passes. Even excluding the fact he led all Lightning players in the preseason with most goals, Kucherov is well on his way to a breakout season, especially after securing his first career NHL hat trick last week against the Coyotes.
Then there is Ondrej Palat, who has kept up a steady pace of 8 points from 4 goals and assists, respectively. While he did start out the season a little slower than Johnson and Kucherov, particularly after his costly turnover against the Edmonton Oilers that burned the Lightning with an embarrassing loss, Palat has since recovered to be an offensive weapon for Tampa Bay. One area that Palat has not been as active in this season is on special teams. His relentless penalty killing was praised by Jon Cooper last season, especially after the addition of Ryan Callahan. The same aggressive capability is still anticipated for Palat this season, whether it becomes more apparent sooner or later.
With 70 games yet to be played, the Lightning's season is still in its infancy. There will be plenty of more changes and alterations to the team's lineup. The future of Tampa Bay's current second line, however, could become a permanent fixture, but like all current trends in the NHL, only time will tell.