TAMPA, Fla. – Through the season’s first 37 games, Lightning defensemen had only eight goals. Heading into Tuesday night’s game at Philadelphia, the blueliners have scored 11 goals in the last 10 games, a stretch beginning with a December 31 overtime win against Montreal at Amalie Arena.
The defense has also collected 16 assists for 27 points in that span, nearly three points per game.
The interesting thing about the recent scoring spree is that it comes at a time when two defensemen, Emil Lilleberg and Max Crozier, made their NHL debuts and a third, Phillipe Myers, made his season debut. Regardless, perhaps it was simply time for the goals to come.
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“I think we were a little snakebit the first 40 games of the year,” said Calvin de Haan, following last week’s win over visiting Anaheim. “There are some guys with talent and good shots back there and the puck just wasn’t going in. Something we have been preaching is putting pucks on the net from the blue line.”
An 11-year veteran with all of 24 goals in 615 games, de Haan quipped that he is not among the “talent” on the blue line. He does, however, have all three of his goals this season in the aforementioned 10-game stretch. His first was in the New Year’s Eve game against the Canadiens, a goal that gave the Lightning a lead they would not relinquish.
The contributions include overtime winners from Nick Perbix and Darren Raddysh in consecutive games at Amalie against the Kings and Devils, respectively.
It is no surprise Victor Hedman leads the way during the recent run. He has 11 points (four goals) in the 10 games, including a four-point effort in a 7-3 win over visiting Minnesota last Thursday night that equaled his career high.
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After wrapping up a three-game trip Tuesday night in Philly, the Lightning return home to face the Coyotes on Thursday. The Devils are back at Amalie on Saturday. Puck drop both nights in 7:00. The Bolts then go 10 days between games as the league pauses for all-star festivities in Toronto.
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