Pictured: Tanner Jeannot (#84), Tyler Motte (#64) and Mikey Eyssimont (#23) afterJeannot's goal against Edmonton. Photo via NHL.com
By Michael Wax
At the time of this writing, the Lightning are on a three-game winning streak and are coming off their most significant win to date: a 5-4 OT win against the league-leading Boston Bruins. It was a great game, with multiple lead changes, a thrilling buzzer-beater, and the Bolts finally exercising their overtime demons to pick up two crucial points. With that win, the Lightning are only slightly behind their 2022-23 pace without star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Recently, an injury to Anthony Cirelli opened the door to a new potential line combo, and though Cirelli has since returned, early returns on this line are promising.
The Jeannot-Motte-Eyssimont line might be the key for the Lightning this season
Is that statement extreme and premature? Sure. It's only been two games with this combo. But it's evident that something works here, and the Lightning have sorely needed it.
Above all else, they seem like a pain to play against. According to captain Steven Stamkos, this isn't an accident. These three, Eyssimont specifically, bring this intensity to practice every day:
“That’s a guy you don’t want to play against," Stamkos said of Eyssimont. "I don’t even want to practice against him to be honest with you, because he’s that intense all the time, which is a great thing, obviously.”
If guys like Eyssimont and Jeannot are that motivated at practice, one can only wonder how much work they put into games.
Against Boston, Eyssimont and Jeannot were driving the Bruins crazy. Eyssimont, in particular, had a lot of opportunities to get under the Bruins' skin, especially with a bodyguard like Jeannot as backup. To have players who are getting the Bruins off their games, which is Boston's entire MO, is special.
Make no mistake; Jeannot got his fair share of bullying too, getting destroyed on a hit from Charlie McAvoy in the second period. But this line consistently got their way by pestering the Bruins over and over again, and their play was certainly noticeable both on the eye test and analytically:
This line is gaining confidence every time they take the ice, a line that admittedly struggled defensively in their first game together against Edmonton but stuck with it and found the tying goal from Jeannot to tie the game at three.
Both of the goals that this line has created have come from Jeannot, and both of them came off the rush. Jeannot's goal against Edmonton was set up from a one-timer pass from Eyssimont on a 2-on-1, and his game-opening goal against Boston was thanks to a partial breakaway from Tyler Motte that saw a rebound available for the taking.
This type of offensive play isn't necessarily sustainable for these three guys, but for a bottom six that has been absolutely desperate for some scoring the past two games, have been a welcome sight for these three.
A pest who's a play driver, a skilled two-way player, and an absolute truck all on the same line? Where have we seen that before...
Pictured: Yanni Gourde (#37), Blake Coleman (#20) and Barclay Goodrow (#19) in the bubble. Photo via NHL.com
The Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow line was vital to the Lightning winning back-to-back titles, and the Lightning haven't had a line like it since the trio all departed in the same offseason. Perhaps this new trio of Jeannot-Motte-Eyssimont can return that flavor to the lineup.
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