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Change improves Lightning power play

 
Nikita Kucherov, left, and Tyler Johnson, center, part of the “triplets’’ line, celebrate with Victor Hedman after Johnson scores against the Penguins on Dec. 13.
Nikita Kucherov, left, and Tyler Johnson, center, part of the “triplets’’ line, celebrate with Victor Hedman after Johnson scores against the Penguins on Dec. 13.
Published Jan. 10, 2015

TAMPA — After weeks of a struggling power play, the Lightning might have finally found the right mix.

During the second period of Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Canadiens, the Lightning switched up its first power-play unit, putting the red-hot "triplets" line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov with C Steven Stamkos and D Anton Stralman.

The second line had been on the second power-play unit. But in moving to the first, Stamkos could set up in the middle slot area, opening up the ice. And Tampa Bay scored on back-to-back power plays.

"We've talked about chemistry, and those guys got it going a little bit," coach Jon Cooper said. "Stralman directs traffic. To put Stammer in the hole, and right around the net, that's where he's best, he clearly draws a little more attention when he's out there.

"We were struggling on the power play. Sometimes when you get into situations, it forces your hand. If I was a better coach I would have done it earlier, but I didn't."

The Lightning had a top-five power-play unit in its hot start, but a 3-for-43 skid in December helped drop it to 16th in the league at 18.7 percent.

But the Lightning power play came up empty Friday, going 0-for-4, including giving up a shorthanded goal.

Ice chips: G Ben Bishop started. D Nikita Nesterov and LW Brenden Morrow returned to the lineup, with D Mark Barberio and RW J.T Brown scratched. C Valtteri Filppula, playing in his 600th career game, scored his eighth goal.

STARRY NIGHT: The NHL will announce its All-Star rosters tonight. The Lightning have several candidates, Johnson and Kucherov among them. But Stamkos, a two-time All-Star and likely participant, knows it's often not fair.

"Sometimes it's a name recognition kind of thing, not necessarily the best players that make it," Stamkos said. "So if guys don't get a chance to make it, maybe it's probably not the right thing. But you've got guys like Jonny, Kuch that have played great. (Bishop) has been a backstop for us. And (defenseman Victor Hedman) played great all year.

"I would love to see all those guys, not sure if that will be the case. But they're definitely deserving."