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Braydon Coburn could help drive Lightning extra mile

 
Braydon Coburn has quickly endeared himself to his teammates and fans since being acquired from the Flyers at the March trade deadline. [Getty Images]
Braydon Coburn has quickly endeared himself to his teammates and fans since being acquired from the Flyers at the March trade deadline. [Getty Images]
Published May 6, 2015

TAMPA — There's a street named after Braydon Coburn in his tiny hometown of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.

It leads to the Wickenheiser Centre, a new complex with an indoor/outdoor hockey rink, plus a sheet for curling, plenty enough to entertain the tight-knit farming community of around 2,000 people. Coburn's friend Hayley Wickenheiser, whom he labels "the Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey," is the favorite daughter, but Braydon Coburn Drive has a good ring to it, too.

"It's a great honor," he said.

While Coburn, 30, doesn't have his own street in downtown Tampa, at least not yet, the Lightning's veteran defenseman has quickly endeared himself to his teammates and fans since being acquired from the Flyers at the March trade deadline.

The last time the Lightning played at Amalie Arena, Coburn was a hero, scoring the winner in Game 7 against Detroit for the biggest goal of his life. There was his fight Sunday with Montreal's Brandon Prust, who had tripped goalie Ben Bishop. Though a broken foot — his third such injury this season — limited Coburn to just 13 games with Tampa Bay heading into tonight's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal, the Lightning got plenty of bang for its buck.

"He's done nothing but make our general manager look good in that trade," coach Jon Cooper said. "He's rounded out our top four, he's given us another big body defender, someone who sticks up for his teammates.

"You check off everything you need in a player, and you get that in Coby."

To get Coburn, GM Steve Yzerman shipped Radko Gudas plus a first- and third-round pick in this year's draft; Tampa Bay recouped two second-rounders in a contingent deal of Brett Connolly to Boston. The Lightning felt it needed Coburn to help make a Cup run, and it has history on its side.

Former Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk said the Coburn addition reminds him a lot of the 2004 deadline, when Tampa Bay got defenseman Darryl Sydor, a key lynchpin in its 2004 Stanley Cup team.

"A lot of a good deadline deal is not about the talent, it's how you fit in with the team," Andreychuk said. "A lot of things could happen badly, where guys try to rock the boat. If you get a good character guy, that's the difference.

"(Coburn is) a perfect playoff performer, a big guy that can be physical. They needed a guy like this around here. Hopefully it works out for them."

Coburn doesn't skate with Victor Hedman's grace. He doesn't have Jason Garrison's rocket shot. But what Coburn, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound left shot, lacks in flash, he makes up for in strength, savvy and sandpaper style, grinding on team's top lines and logging big minutes in all situations.

"He's still got a little farmer in him," said defenseman Matt Carle, a former Flyers teammate.

Coburn's family had a farm in Shaunavon, and he owns some farmland near his hometown, which he rents out. "I'm still a quasi-farmer," he said, smiling.

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He always had a job, whether it was shoveling snow, cutting grass, stocking shelves at the grocery store. He mopped the floors at the old hockey rink.

"Cleaning up chew spit and all that kind of fun stuff," he said.

The blue-collar identity made him a good fit in Philadelphia, where he played nine seasons, reaching the 2010 Stanley Cup final. Coburn was shocked when he got traded to Tampa Bay, having missed several texts in the middle of the night. His wife, Nadine, up at 6 a.m. to check on daughter Rory, 3 1/2 and son Blair, 1 1/2, told him to look at his phone.

"It was time to start a new chapter," he said.

Coburn was excited to be on a team he felt had "all the pieces." Vinny Lecavalier helped him in the transition, setting him up with a babysitter. Coburn got in a fight in his first game with Tampa Bay, which was 4-0 in his first four games. Then he broke his right foot blocking a shot, frustrating considering he fractured his left foot twice this season.

"Bad luck," he said. "It's so strange, you're stuck in a new place, team is on road trips and you're kind of like, 'Man, this (stinks).' "

But Coburn points out he's fresh, having played just 43 regular-season games, returning for Game 1 of the playoffs. On a team Coburn believes is "as primed as anyone" for a Cup run, the toughest year of his career could end up with the perfect ending:

"I'm loving every minute."

Contact Joe Smith at joesmith@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_JSmith.