By Michael Wax
The Lightning fell 2-1 in regulation to the Carolina Hurricanes in their first preseason game, returning to AMALIE for the first time since Game 4 vs. Florida last year. Carolina scored the game-winner with 44 seconds to play in regulation as they overcame an early Lightning lead.
Despite starting strong, the Lightning certainly had fatigue catch up to them in this one. Here are three things we learned from the loss:
Brown Town
After missing all last season due to a shoulder injury, Logan Brown is back with the Lightning organization after signing a professional tryout contract this year. Brown got his Lightning audition as the third-line center in this one, considering two very hungry individuals: Zemgus Girgensons, a veteran and former All-star looking to make a good impression in his first appearance in a Lightning uniform, and Lucas Edmonds, a young rookie was seeking to continue his solid Rookie Showcase.
Midway through the first, that line got clicking in the offensive zone. After a solid forecheck from Girgensons, Edmonds took the puck and found Declan Carlile near the left circle. When Carlile’s shot was blocked, he maintained possession and dropped it back to Brown behind the circle. Brown fired a shot past Pyotr Kochetkov to get the Lightning on the board:
Even if Brown doesn’t find his way onto the Lightning roster, this goal is undoubtedly a feel-good story for someone who battled the entire year to try and make his way back from a debilitating preseason injury.
Old Man Strength
The lightning bringing in Cam Atkinson raised a lot of eyebrows, specifically for two reasons. Atkinson is currently 35 years old, and was coming off his worst statistical season of his career Last season with the Flyers, putting up just 13 goals and 28 points in 70 games. In his first game in bolt blue, however, the old man didn’t look at a place at all.
On the second line with Nick Paul and Mitchell Chaffee, Atkinson looked pretty comfortable as the game went along, being involved in a bevy of scoring chances for the lightning. Even as the majority of the team started to lose their legs in third period, that line put together their one solid push to try and get the go-ahead goal.
Atkinson could be a phenomenal leader and veteran presence on a Lightning team that is younger than it’s been in quite some time. Long are the days of Bellemare, Maroon, Perry, Elliott, and others. Atkinson is currently the 2nd-oldest member of the Bolts (Glendening), and could bring a sizable punch to the lineup for the regular season.
Regular Struggles
It’s not really a good sign when to your worst players are ones that have their lineup spots solidified for this upcoming season.
Emil Lilleberg, the less solidified of the two, really struggled after the first couple shifts in this first preseason game. The most glaring issue came on Carolina‘s first goal of the game, as he was on the wrong end of a highlight real play from Artonni Honka.
Sheary, who is certainly trying to respond back in a big way after a lackluster first year in Tampa, seem to have a tough time on that first line with Gage Goncalves and Anthony Cirelli. Goncalves shined, while Sheary seemed to be a step behind.
Again, it’s the first preseason game, and those two and any other players have an opportunity to turn the ship around very quickly. But with both of these players fighting for consistency, this was not the foot that they wanted to start on.
The Bolts will continue their preseason tomorrow, Sep. 25, at 7 PM in Orlando against the Florida Panthers in their annual Orlando game. Most of the lineup should look different, with perhaps one or two players getting the back-to-back look.
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