DENVER — During their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a secret weapon.
Their checking line of Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow had the unique ability to shut down their opponents’ top players while contributing huge goals of their own. The lone goal in Game 7 against the New York Islanders, to send the Lightning to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final? That was Gourde, short-handed. The winning goal in Game 2 of that Final against the Montreal Canadiens? That was Coleman.
But due to external factors, the Lightning lost that entire line last summer. Gourde was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. Coleman was signed away by the Calgary Flames, while Goodrow signed with the New York Rangers, thanks in part to the Lightning’s salary-cap constraints.
One of the biggest questions facing Tampa Bay as it went for the three-peat: Could it still win without that secret weapon in its arsenal?
Easy answer: The Lightning would just make a new one.
The line of Anthony Cirelli centering Brandon Hagel and Alex Killorn might not have the offensive contributions that the O.G. checking line did, but they might be even more effective defensively, based on their play in the past several playoff games for the Lightning.
“If our coaches trust in us to go out there and shut guys down, we take a lot of pride in that,” Cirelli said.
The new shutdown line hasn’t given up a goal at even strength in the playoffs in just over 68 minutes together. They have a plus-36 shot attempt advantage, a plus-15 scoring chance advantage and are an incredible plus-15 in high-danger scoring chance differential — meaning they’ve gotten to their opponents’ toughest scoring areas more than the offensive stars they’re defending have.
As head coach Jon Cooper put it: “The more you can make them play D, the less they can play offense.”
Cooper put this line together in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Cirelli had been playing with stars Steven…
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