Dunlap: 5 Things To Watch For In Pens-Lightning Series
With the Penguins getting past the Capitals (again) in the playoffs, it sets up an Eastern Conference Finals series against the Tampa Bay Lightning that gets underway just past 8 p.m. on Friday here in Pittsburgh.
That said, there are seemingly a million storylines to this upcoming series, but how about we just take a look at five, that are, in my opinion, the most pressing ones:
+ Tampa Bay players returning from injury: Will all-everything forward Steven Stamkos and defenseman Anton Stralman be able to jump back into play from injuries that have kept them out for a substantial amount of time? It would be one thing if this were one player for the Lightning, but to potentially have two guys coming back for the series --- one who can really light the lamp and another on the blue line --- might not make Tampa Bay the favorites in this series, but it could substantially put a dent into the way many see the Pens as heavy favorites. I'm guessing Stralman plays Game 1 while Stamkos will give it a go later in the series, particularly if Tampa gets behind. But, please, don't underestimate the way Stamkos can overtake a hockey game with his flashes of brilliance if he, indeed, makes his way back in.
+ Schultz for Maatta: It's no knock on the kind of kid he is and, certainly, we all understand the valiant nature with which he's fought back from ailment after affliction, but it might be time for Olli Maatta to be a spectator for a game or two. It has felt like, for about a month-and-a-half now, that Maatta has been a step slow of foot and his reaction has been a bit off. I'd like to see defenseman Justin Schultz get a game in Game 1 and give Maatta a breather and, from there, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan can recalibrate and adjust accordingly. But I just think it's time we see Schultz on the ice and Maatta in the press box.
+ Murray dominance: Can we put to bed the Murray v. Fleury talk? I sure hope so. It will be interesting to see if, as the consequence of these games build, will the nervousness within Matt Murray do the same thing. A big part of me says, "hell no." And here's why: If Murray didn't frazzle or show nerves in a decisive Game 6 against the Capitals as his team was taking penalty after penalty, it doesn't feel as if there would ever be a time for him to emotionally collapse. So back to the root issue --- this is his team until he slips on a banana peel and has an absolute laugher of a game. Only then (and it would still just be a maybe) could the talk of Marc-Andre Fleury returning to the net happen.
+ The Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel line: These guys combined for all four goals in the series clincher against the Capitals and accumulated 18 points in the series against Washington. That's about 672 percent more than what was probably expected, production wise, if you go back to around Christmastime and think of the way these gentlemen were playing. Will they continue at that clip against the Lightning? Who knows? But I do know this – there's some talk about Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin not producing in line with their salaries or rightful place among the game's finest. The talk isn't as loud as it could be because this third line of Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel has, in a way, deflected the attention. Sid and Geno should be grateful, to this point at least, for the production of that third line or the heat would REALLY be on them.
+ Speed, speed, speed: To this point in the postseason, the Penguins have been asked to turn the other cheek. Against both the Rangers and Capitals, it appeared the gameplan was to physically go at the Penguins, see how much Pittsburgh could withstand --- or if they'd retaliate --- and take your chances that way. At times, it kind of worked, but in the bigger picture, it failed as the Penguins used their brains to steer clear of nonsense and their speed to simply skate past it on most occasions. This Tampa team will play a style that more closely resembles the Penguins than one seen by the first two playoff opponents. That said, it could lend itself to wonderful displays of end-to-end hockey with a free-flowing neutral zone and an expedited pace of play. The Penguins won't be asked to fight muscle with speed, but they will be tested as to if they can outpace and outrace the Lightning. Pittsburgh should be able to do so, as long as they stay away from what has been a detriment at times --- being too fancy for their own good.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
